The Herman's

ZUMBA BABY!!!

2012-01-02T18:48:00.001-05:00

LOVE THIS VIDEO!!! Dance group doing the ZUMBA dancing to Waka Waka.

2012-01-01T17:22:00.000-05:00

Love this quote!! Gotta get back on track! We moved into a new house/community and the holidays came right after that so my "break" has been extended to a few months instead of a few days! It's so easy to make excuses... I've gotta get back to exercise REGULARLY and cooking/eating more healthy meals! Let 2012 begin .....

Yummy HUNGRY GIRL recipes!

2011-08-28T19:40:00.001-04:00

Diet Lemon-Lime Soda + Fruity Sorbet

PER SERVING (12 oz. soda + 1/2 cup sorbet): 130 calories, 0g fat, 50mg sodium, 30g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 25g sugars, 1g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3*

Wanna chill? We mean REALLY chill? This'll do the trick. Start with a 12-oz. can (1 1/2 cups) of chilled diet lemon-lime soda. (Our hearts belong to Sprite Zero.) Pour it into a tall glass, and top it off with a 1/2-cup scoop of your favorite fruity sorbet. Lemon? Great. Peach? Perfect. Raspberry? Why not? This is one fancy and super-refreshing float... Just add a straw and sip!

Philly-Style Chicken Melt PER SERVING (entire recipe): 288 calories, 5.5g fat, 897mg sodium, 27g carbs, 6g fiber, 6g sugars, 35g protein --PointsPlus® value 7*

Ingredients:
One 4-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
2 dashes salt, divided
2 dashes black pepper, divided
1/3 cup thinly sliced bell pepper (about 1/4th of a pepper)
1/3 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1/4th of an onion)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 slices light bread
1 slice fat-free American cheese
2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown), divided

Directions:
Bring a grill pan (or skillet) sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add chicken, season with a dash each of salt and black pepper, and cook for 4 minutes on one side.

Flip chicken in the pan. Add bell pepper and onion, and sprinkle with garlic powder and remaining dash each of salt and black pepper. Stirring veggies occasionally, cook until veggies have softened and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Once cool enough to handle, slice chicken into strips. Set aside.

Lay bread slices flat on a clean dry surface. Top one slice with cheese, chicken, and cooked veggies. Place the other bread slice on top, and evenly spread 1 tsp. butter on the upward-facing side. Set aside.

Clean pan, if needed. Re-spray with nonstick spray and return to medium heat. Place sandwich in the pan with the buttered side down. Carefully spread the remaining 1 tsp. butter on the upward-facing bread slice.

Cook sandwich until hot and toasty, 1 - 2 minutes per side, flipping it gently. (It will be stuffed!)

Remove from heat, slice in half (if you like), and dig in!

MAKES 1 SERVING

HG Tip! To pound the chicken, lay it between two pieces of plastic wrap on a clean and dry flat surface -- or place it in a sealable bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Using a meat mallet, pound the cutlet until uniform in thickness. Start with the thickest point, and then even out the rest. Tada!

Kick Your Candy Cravings

2011-08-20T18:18:00.000-04:00

4 Tricks to Kick Your Candy Cravings to the Curb

By: Nicole Nichols

You've probably already faced your share of tempting bite-size candies and seasonal desserts over the past few weeks, but tomorrow is the day that candy will find its way into your home, office. (if it hasn't already).

So how are you going to avoid the temptation? How can you stop yourself from eating too many of those cute little treats before it's too late? Good questions. I have a big sweet tooth myself. I love candy, desserts and sweets—I am only human. But I do try to make healthful choices about what I eat and enjoy treats within moderation, which usually means turning them down more often than I eat them. It isn't always easy, but it IS possible. So here are some of my very own tricks to prevent overeating on Halloween candy—and kick those cravings for good!

Freshen Up - This is an age-old tip to prevent mindless eating and overeating, but it really does work. Brushing your teeth frequently (or chewing a strong, minty gum) makes all sorts of foods—including candy—unpalatable. Just think about drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth in the morning…not tasty. When candy is around, arm yourself with minty fresh breath. It's a lot easier to say not to treats when you don't want to disrupt that fresh, clean flavor in your mouth. This trick can also work if you find yourself losing control of your cravings. For example, if you ate one or two pieces of candy and find yourself uncontrollably reaching for another, stop that cycle by brushing your teeth before you think about taking another bite.

Don't Have Just One - I know this is going to make me sound like a food control freak, but hang with me here. When faced with a dishful of tiny treats (or any other food temptation), what's easier: Not eating the food at all OR eating one bite and then stopping? Really think about your habits and eating history. For me—and I think most people—eating some and then stopping is much, much harder than just turning it down completely. After all, who can stop after just one bite, lick or taste when more food is still right there in front of you? I find that it's way harder to stop once you get going, especially if you have any emotional or mindless eating tendencies. Remember this next time you're faced with Halloween treats and think, "I'll have just one." If you can't really trust yourself to stop, then don't even start.

Distract Yourself - When it comes to treats, we usually don't even know we "want" them until we see them. It's not that we're craving candy corn or Twizzlers all day every day. But when you see them in the office candy jar or on the end cap at Target, well, you remember how good they are and then you think you want them. Out of sight, out of mind. Don't even go to the candy section of the store—even if you know it's 75% off today. Bypass the candy aisle and keep your gaze on the tabloid magazines when in the checkout line. If the office candy jar is calling your name, choose another route and walk around it or divert your gaze to look away from it. If someone brings in pumpkin doughnuts to the office today, avoid stopping in the kitchen or by their desk until it's likely that every other person has done it before you (and eaten them all up). If you're faced with a craving that you feel like you're obsessing over, try a 10-minute distraction technique. Go for a walk, answer some of those emails that have been in your inbox for days, or play a simple mind game on your iPhone. Anything you can do to take your mind off the food will certainly help you remain in control.

Choose Wisely, Eat Mindfully - It's not realistic to turn down every treat or temptation—and no one should have to! Holidays are fun and so are the foods that come with them. The above techniques will work well if you're trying to stick with your healthy eating plan or control your calories. But sometimes, it's best to just give in and enjoy a little fun. When you consciously choose to enjoy a treat, first, choose wisely. Pick your absolute favorite. Save your calories for the treat that will be most worthwhile to you (and use the tricks above for avoid foods that aren't really worth the calories). Don't waste your calories on candies you don't really love just because they're around. When you're ready to eat, do so without distraction. Focus on that treat. Notice how it feels in your mouth, its texture and its flavor. Eat slowly and mindfully. The more you can really focus on the treat of your choice, without distraction, the more satisfied you with feel, and the more in-control you will remain. When you take the time to really taste and enjoy something, you won't feel the need to keep eating more, and you'll kick those cravings to the curb before you've gone overboard.

Link for original article: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=4_ways_to_kick_your_candy_cravings_to_the_curb

7 tips to weekend proof your workouts!

2011-08-15T19:09:00.001-04:00

7 Tips for Fitting in Weekend Workouts

Turn workout time into play time. Think working out on the weekend has to be at the gym? Think again! The weekend is the perfect time to take your workout outdoors for a hike, a bootcamp at the park, a bike ride at a nearby trail or even a session of skiing (on water or snow, depending on your climate). If the weather in your area is less than ideal, why not gather some buds for an indoor basketball game, a workout DVD or even a visit to that indoor rock climbing wall you've been dying to try? The sky is really the limit, so get outside—or stay indoors—and have fun!
Schedule some "me" time. The best part about weekdays is that our schedule is consistent and more or less on autopilot. Make your weekend more like a weekday by setting a schedule for Saturday and Sunday. Not every second has to be laid out (where's the fun in that?), but schedule an hour or two that's just for you. Use the time to be active doing something you really enjoy like Zumba, running or Spinning class, followed by some relaxation time. Meditate, read a magazine, take a long bath—do something that's good for you.
Make housework a workout. Most of us have to do at least a few chores over the weekend, so if you're short on time, transform your housework into a workout! Put on some tunes and see how quickly you can do more physical chores like vacuuming, scrubbing the bathtub, mopping the floors, mowing the grass or washing the windows. Here are more ways you can turn housework and yard work into a calorie-torching exercise routine!
Try something new. The best part of working out on the weekend: You have more time (hopefully!). Take advantage of your open schedule by trying something new or going somewhere different for your usual workouts. Whether it's a new group fitness class, running at a new park or even joining a game of softball with some pals from work, trying something new can work your muscles and brain in new ways thereby helping to prevent boredom and those dreaded plateaus. You may even find a new activity that you love or make some new friends who also like to get active on the weekends.
Set a goal (or two). The best way to achieve any goal starts with setting one! If you really want to be more active on the weekends, set a goal to do so. It can be as simple as saying you want to walk every Saturday for a month. Set a smart goal and then reward yourself when you succeed.
Grab a buddy. We all know how important it is to have support when trying to lose weight and get healthy. So be sure to include your friends and loved ones in your weekend workout plans. Ask a bud to try that new trail with you or turn your usual movie date night into something more active like bowling. Make it fun! Not only will you be burning calories, you'll be making way more memories than just sitting around watching television.
Fuel your body right. It's hard to want to work out if you're not fueling your body for success. Studies show that people tend to make poorer food choices—and eat more—on the weekends. Sure, the occasional late night out, cocktail or order of chicken wings won't really hurt you, but if these weekend habits become the norm—or turn into a weekend splurge-fest—they could get in the way of your fitness goals. Who really feels like working out after eating too much, sleeping too little or drinking one too many? Make it a priority to get adequate sleep, drink plenty of water and eat healthy meals and snacks

** For more great articles go to sparkpeople.com.

Build muscle?

2011-08-11T21:22:00.000-04:00

When it comes to reps and weight, heavy weight and less reps builds strength, while lighter weight, more reps builds endurance. ~Chris Freytag ~

Tid bits from Chris-
"Studies show we talk to ourselves every day and 70 percent of self-talk is negative. Believe me, I do my own fair share of self-criticism, but I have trained myself to stop, breathe and reverse. Reverse the nit picking and be thankful for what I have, and how hard I work. When I teach a fitness class, I tell my participants, “You are awesome,” 20 times in an hour. I want them to walk out the door and believe they are awesome, so try a little of that on your own.

Be your own coach. Say you have a tough day at work, aren’t you excited to go home where you can exhale and be around people and things you love? That’s the kind of sacred space you can create for yourself in your mind too. Do you coach yourself back up when you are down? Do you say kind things to yourself when you are feeling particularly low? You will be amazed at the transformation you will experience when you start coaching yourself positively in your head. And the best benefit? If you are self-accepting, you always have a kind place to retreat when you need a recharge. You don’t have to seek external comfort that’s not as healthy, like the wrong foods.

Practice being kind to your body. Ever notice you feel awful when you overindulge and how terrific you feel after a cardiovascular workout? Your body is talking to you! Listen to it. Reward your body with water, fresh fruits and veggies, healthy cooking and controlled portions. Be kind to your body with stretching, walking, moving more and a regularly scheduled exercise regimen that works for your schedule."

Watch for more from her... I love her website. She got tons of info and ideas for healthy eating, exercise and other sites to check out!

Surprising Snacks Under 200 Calories!

2011-08-08T20:44:00.003-04:00

Straight from the Hungry Girl website!
There's more to 200-calorie munching than plain old snack bars...

Zazzle up half a cup of fat-free cottage cheese with some no-calorie sweetener, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Top with a cored and cubed medium-large apple, sprinkle with extra cinnamon, and enjoy! (Pssst...Click here for the full recipe! )

Grab 4 ounces of extra-lean turkey slices and wrap it around 4 dill pickle spears. Crunchy, protein-packed, and you've got about 60 calories to spare!

Fill a bowl with 2 cups of strawberry slices, and top it off with a half-cup scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream. HUGE and DELICIOUS!

Spread a wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese over 2 slices of Wasa Light Rye Crispbread. Top with 2 oz. lox-style smoked salmonand a few cucumber slices. So good and only about 165 calories!

Fested Out....

2011-08-07T21:08:00.001-04:00

Strassenfest has gotten the best of us.... sheeeesh! Fested at the beer garden Thursday night (8/4), fested Friday night (8/5) at the beer garden for just a short time - went to the dairy barn, Saturday sis the Wettlauf my time 40 min, 25 secs. - Dan and Lucas - 36 min, 46 sec. They did great!! Biked around town.... ate some BBQ... saw some neat cars. Golfed at Pride's Creek this morning .... high grass and wet fairways made it not so fun!!! Overall had an active weekend, ate foods that weren't that great for us.... but back on the wagon tomorrow!

*change of subject* Check out our Las Vegas pictures on Flickr... we had so much fun, but it was so H~O~T!!!! Good Gravy....

Food Network and Strassenfest....

2011-08-05T16:55:00.002-04:00

Head to Strassenfest this evening and I got my Food Network magazine today!
Have some crazy good fest food and
read about some crazy good food.

2010-07-19T18:18:00.000-04:00

Let it rain

Let it rain

Let it rain

Let it rain

Let it rain

Let it rain

Dinner 7/17/10

2010-07-17T18:32:00.000-04:00

Dinner - Fillet Mignon and stuffed jalapenos
straight from OUR GARDEN!

FINALLY THE JALAPENOS WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED!!

Hello!!

2010-07-08T20:48:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-05T21:04:00.002-04:00

A new/old toy!!!

2010-06-29T19:53:00.000-04:00

We found 'ducky' behind the mixer...we had put him there b/c he needed surgery on his head. Baxter had his way with him one night and suddenly there's a hole in his head and stuffing coming out!! But this evening we decided 'ducky' just needed some gorilla tape!!!

Summer 2010 Lily

2010-06-28T20:16:00.001-04:00

Summer 2010 Lily
Originally uploaded by tulip_w0nder

I thought this lily was so pretty...

Rose of Sharon in full bloom...so pretty!

2010-06-28T20:10:00.004-04:00

Rose of Sharon
Originally uploaded by tulip_w0nder

Oliver Winery 6.27.10

2010-06-28T20:08:00.001-04:00

Oliver Winery 6.27.10
Originally uploaded by tulip_w0nder

We had a fun day at Oliver Winery! Wine, Cheese, and chocolate...what more could you ask for?

Jack Johnson - "You and Your Heart"

2010-05-30T09:19:00.002-04:00

Jack Johnson - "You and Your Heart" | A Starbucks Coffee Company Selection

Groovy lil' tune!!!

I LOVE SPRING!!

2010-05-08T06:59:00.003-04:00

2010-05-07T20:19:00.001-04:00

My newest creation.... 5/7/2010

Bang Bang Shrimp

2010-04-11T19:04:00.006-04:00

If you've ever been to Bonefish Grill....I hope you tried the Bang Bang Shrimp!

It is WONDERFUL and we found a "copy cat" recipe!! Let me tell you....it is almost as WONDERFUL! Spicy, sweet, creamy with a little bit of ZiNg!

Our Zucchini moved....

2010-04-04T14:17:00.001-04:00

..... into the "BIG BOY" Pots.

We've got BIG sprouts of broccoli, tomatoes, & green onions. We have very small sprouts of jalapenos and we just planted sweet peppers yesterday so those we will be watching.....

Happy Easter-2010

2010-04-04T12:50:00.006-04:00

Just some family pictures taken on a beautiful Easter morning!! We are all blessed!

Dan, myself, my parents and Bax
in the back yard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baxter the Pretty Boy!!

Dan and me on the front porch before our 8am Easter service!

2010 Herman Garden

2010-03-31T20:53:00.002-04:00

This is our Broccoli sprouts!

The sprouts 2nd from the bottom is our zucchini plants!

Colors of West Baden

2010-03-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

The many colors of the West Baden Dome.

March Madness Girls Weekend

2010-03-25T12:52:00.000-04:00

3/19 - 3/21/2010: Just a few pix of my girls weekend.... had a great time! Went to a Flower and Patio show, 2 wineries (Buck Creek and Easley) and a few fun dinners!

2010-03-24T17:54:00.000-04:00

Here's more photos of Sarah....celebrating St. Patty's!

2010-03-22T16:29:00.000-04:00

Sarah dressed up for her schools Dress up for St. Patty's Day celebration! She won 2nd place!

Chicken Spaghetti

2010-02-21T19:36:00.008-05:00

We haven't made a 'recipe' dinner in a while so this is more to show off our new plates.

But this is a great dish... Chicken Spaghetti! A recipe from my dear friend Sue...super easy, super yummy.

2 frozen chicken breasts
1 jar of your favorite sauce
enough pasta for the # you're feeding
any veggie you want to add (we always add yellow/red pepper & onion)
top with cheese

boil chicken until done (about 15 minutes) - if you use fresh it won't take as long. while the chicken is boiling chop your veggies and add to a skillet on med. heat with a lil olive oil.

once the chicken is done - pull it out of the water with tongs and add the spag. noodles to the chicken water. cook until done and drain.

let the chicken cool then pull it apart with your fingers. any size you'd like...just shred it and add to the skillet. pour in the sauce, let simmer for about 10 minutes. you can either add the noodles or pour over noodles. top with cheese, salt and pepper!

That's it.... it's yummy!

Summer Sausage Pasta and Veggies

2010-02-02T20:06:00.003-05:00

Summer Sausage Pasta and Veggies (Sorry no picture)

1 Jar Ragu Chunky Spag. Sauce (any flavor)
1 pk Skinless Summer Sausage, cut into "coins"
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
3/4 cup chopped red pepper
3/4 cup chopped yellow pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups Whole Wheat pasta, uncooked - use your best judgment on how much to make.

Start the pasta water....bring water to a boil, pour in the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes.

Pour chicken stock into a skillet on med. heat. Put summer sausage "coins" and veggies, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and add the spag. sauce. Simmer for approx. 10 minutes or until cooked down.

Drain pasta and either pour into skillet and stir or serve onto plates and top with sausage sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Pork Chops with Button Mushrooms, Broccoli and Long Grain Rice

2010-01-26T17:43:00.006-05:00

What a yummy dinner we had last night. This one is certainly a KEEPER! This was such a yummy, comforting dish... it would be good with chicken breast too!

Pork Chops with Button Mushrooms, Broccoli and Long Grain Rice

4 pork chop
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 can 98% Fat Free cream of mushroom soup
2 cups water/chicken stock
1½ cup long grain rice, uncooked
2-2½ cups fresh broccoli florets
10 button mushrooms, sliced

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Season pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder and grill until brown and almost done.

In a large bowl mix together soup, water/stock, rice, broccoli and mushrooms.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish place browned pork chops in the bottom then top with rice mixture and cover with foil; bake 1 hour or until rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Modified from this recipe: stefaniescookingspot.blogspot.com/2010/01/pork-chop-and-rice-bake.html

Shooting from the hip...

2010-01-16T19:39:00.004-05:00

So we totally shot from the hip on this one... Not sure where it will go but for this dinner we just used :

2 Chicken Breasts - pounded out to about 1/4" thick
1 pkg Frozen Spinach - thawed and drained
4 slices of Baby Swiss cheese

Pound out the chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread half the spinach on one breast, half on the other breast. Lay down 2 slices end to end of swiss cheese on each breast. Roll the breast up and reinforce with toothpicks. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, depending on you oven.

Next time we talked about adding one or a few of the following to the middle:
2 Tb Light Ranch dressing to each
2 Tb Caesar Dressing on each
2 Tb Miracle Whip on each
a sprinkle of cranberries
2 slices Deli Ham
2 slices Bacon

Not sure what else but when we fix it next time we'll be posting....

Cheddar Tuna Casserole

2010-01-10T20:20:00.007-05:00

Cheddar Tuna Noodle Casserole - (doubled)

1 cup - chopped onion (64 calories)

1 Tbsp. - light butter (50 calories)

2 can (10-3/4 oz.) - 98% cream of celery soup (300 calories)

2/3 cup - 2 % milk (80 calories)

3 ½ cups - egg noodles, dry pasta (525 calories)

2 cans - tuna in water, drained (200 calories)

3 cup - Reduced Fat Sharp/Co-Jack Cheddar Cheese, divided (80 calories per serving; 720 total)

½ cup - Homegrown Banana Peppers, Red Peppers, etc.– (?? Calories; optional)

REHEAT oven to 350°F. Cook and stir onion in butter in large saucepan
on medium heat until tender. Add soup, milk, noodles, tuna, 1/2 of the cheese,
the Banana/Red peppers; mix well. SPOON into 13x9 casserole dish.

BAKE 30 minutes; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes
or until cheese is melted.

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 326 per serving

Modified from Kraft Foods recipe: Cheddar Tuna Casserole

Homemade Pancake

2009-12-31T12:41:00.007-05:00

Homemade Pancakes - nothing fancy but you can add chopped nuts, blueberries, chocolate chips...whatever your heart desires.

You just mix up the ingredients below, keep them in a container at easy reach and then every time you are required to be the usher-forth of good things of a morning, you just scoop some dry mixture out, mix with egg, milk and melted butter as directed and that's it. Pancakes a'plenty, without even having to think about it.

Pancake mix:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Pancake batter:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 Tb vanilla extract

For the pancake mix:

Mix the above ingredients together and store in a jar.

For the pancake batter:

For each 1 cup pancake mix, 3-4 shakes from your cinnamon shaker, add 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 1 Tb of vanilla and 1 Tb. melted butter, 1 Tb of lemon zest (4 zests across the microplane of a lemon). Do not overmix.

Heat a flat griddle or pan over medium-high heat.

Spoon drops of 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface of the little pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides. A minute or so a side should do it.

The Sinful Dinner...

2009-12-27T21:05:00.006-05:00

What is our Sinful Dinner? Chicken Carbonara

Dan and I made this for the first time last year (2008) and it was "OH MY" yummy! I have to say though...it is evil on the hips. (8 Egg Yolks and 2 1/2 cups of whipping CREAM...HELLO!) It is our version of Giada De Laurentiis - Chicken Carbonara. We tweeked it a little (i.e. used bacon instead of pancetta, add peas, omitted walnuts, etc.)

ENJOY!

Chicken Carbonara
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis; Jen & Dan’s version
Serve: 6

2 teaspoons olive oil
½ lb. Center Cut bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups whipping cream (get at Wal-mart; 3- ½ pint cartons are needed, do not use all)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup dried basil & oregano
Salt
1 pound spaghetti – ¾ of a 13 oz. box
4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken; or 3 medium/lg. chick breasts)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (approx) frozen peas
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and oregano to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken & peas to the pan with the bacon and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti (a little at a time) and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the bacon will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle lemon zest over, and serve.

It's Christmas Time

2009-12-22T20:44:00.002-05:00

The Herman's decorating the tree...(2009)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2009-11-30T09:55:00.006-05:00

Went to Jenny's aunt and uncle's house in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving! Had a great time.... we also made a pit stop at Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, MO.

Toby and Bub - Sharmin and Spencer's Welcoming Committee

Ms. Chloe

"Thanksgiving Day Angels"
(Jenny, Rachel, Sharmin, Melissa, and Paula)

The Shooting Crew -
(Randy, Dan, Lucas, Bub & Toby)

Sharmin and Spencer's house....Bass Pro Shop Photos

Bax as a puppy (2006)

2009-11-15T16:47:00.001-05:00

Bouncy Sarah

2009-11-15T14:10:00.000-05:00

Halloween Tie Dye!

2009-10-29T17:43:00.002-04:00

Here's the result of our first attempt at tie-dying! This was so fun!

Here's Sarah's T-shirt

Here's my T-shirt

Here's Lucas' T-shirt

10/17/09 Huber Winery

2009-10-23T21:50:00.003-04:00

On the wagon...headed to the pumpkin patch.

Huber Winery Pumpkin Pickin'

2009-10-21T17:25:00.001-04:00

More to come....

Nashville, TN - Our 1st Anniversary

2009-10-09T20:54:00.002-04:00

Nashville, TN - Our 1st Anniversary

2009-10-06T13:23:00.003-04:00

Here are a few of my new hobby... Digital scrapbooking!! It's so fun! Just some photos from our Nashville trip to celebrate our first anniversary! Can't believe it's been a year!!

2009-09-30T18:31:00.001-04:00

My weight loss group had it's last meeting last night and I've lost 12.2 lbs!! YEAH! Now, Dan and I are in Nashville, TN to celebrate our 1 year anniversary! We'll be posting pix soon!

2009 Strassesfest - 8.1.09 Clydesdale Hitching

2009-08-11T17:15:00.004-04:00

2009 Strassesfest - 7.31.09 Hot Air Balloon Race

2009-08-11T17:05:00.005-04:00

2009 Strassesfest

2009-07-30T18:06:00.003-04:00

The Budweiser Clydesdales came to town this year for the Jasper Strassenfest.

Healthy Habits for Life

2009-07-28T20:08:00.002-04:00

Healthy Habits for Life - meeting #3 went well. I'm down 1.4 lbs! Had a not-so-good week...bad over the weekend but kept my exercise up so that was good. Gotta keep walking and I need to add weights to my routine. Need to look into newer, more up-beat music.

Last Week's Challenge: do MORE 3 x a week.
Weekly Challenge: Try a new recipe! That'll be a piece of cake...hehehe, no pun intended!

Weigh-in: 156.2 (7.28.09)

Healthy Habits for Life

2009-07-21T21:18:00.003-04:00

Healthy Habits for Life - meeting #2 went well. I'm down 3.4 lbs! (mom is down 2.? lbs!) Gotta step up the walking a little bit...small steps = success. If I change things a little at a time I think that will help my progress.

Last Week's Challenge: No soft drinks
Weekly Challenge: do MORE 3 x a week.

Weigh-in: 157.6 (7.21.09)

Healthy Habits for Life

2009-07-14T20:49:00.007-04:00

A personal journey for Jenny:

Healthy Habits For Life...our first meeting was this evening. We ended up with 70 members which is insane!! It was very encouraging... ready to make some changes... I hope I don't get too radical with this but I'm sure Dan will keep me in check. :)

Starting weight: 161 lbs. (7.14.09)

Lucas' Conservation Officer's camp

2009-07-11T10:26:00.011-04:00

Lucas' Conservation Officer's camp

June 21 - 27, 2009

Camp city...this is where he lived for a week!

Lucas marching in on the last day of camp.

Pix of the kids!

2009-07-11T10:24:00.002-04:00

Being goofy in the back yard....

Dan and the kids...two and four legged...

2009-07-01T00:07:00.000-04:00

White Castle-like Sliders

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 dinner rolls
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove
from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift pattie with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 24 Sliders.

Dan & Sarah

2009-07-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

They switched glasses....hehe.....

2009-06-30T23:15:00.000-04:00

Kind of a crazy little recipe we found! Homemade White Castle Sliders with a twist...Avocado Spread. They were YUMMMMY!!!

2009-05-02T17:55:00.000-04:00

2009 Mutt Strut - Indy, IN
4 / 26 /09

Fund Raiser for the Indy Humane Society -
Walking the Speedway (Indy 500) Track
Over 8,000 Dogs participated - raising over $350,000

2009-05-02T14:56:00.000-04:00

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY BAXTER!!!

2009-04-02T21:07:00.000-04:00

FISH CAMP 2009!!

Birmingham, AL

March 20th - March 24th

Lucas with a mini catch...

Another mini catch...

Lucas with another BIGGER catch...

Millett manning the driver's seat and Herman the Hound

Checking out the cooler....'what's in there...anything for me?'

Notice the TABLE OF FISH!!!

2009-04-02T17:52:00.000-04:00

70 qt cooler FULL of crappie!!

Herman the Hound Dog! Also, known as the FISH CAMP SUPERVISOR!

He's hard at work keeping that crate from walking off!

Millett (thier host) and Lucas... with a BIG crappie!

Lake ??? (can't tell ya or we'd havta ....you know)

Millett would randomly yell "HERMAN"... all 3 heads would turn...

Dan, Lucas & Herman the Hound!

Dan's big catch...

Lucas' first Yellow Bass catch! First mistaken as a STRIPER.

He was pretty excited..."Can I keep it?"...

"Yeah"....."Can we eat it?".... "Yeah"...."AWESOME!!!!!"

2009-03-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

WOW...did we make a good dinner last week and we're doing it again tonight! I'm not a fan of fish...or ginger...but this is AWESOME!! Check it out below...

Ginger Lime Tilapia (CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com)

Serves/Makes: 4| Ready In: < 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 Tbs minced ginger (Use fresh ginger, mince a ginger root yourself w/ a micro-plane)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp honey
3 Tbs light soy sauce - (or 2 Tbs of regular)
1 1/2 pound tilapia fillets - (4-5 fillets)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 scallions, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine the ginger, garlic, lime juice, sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce in a small bowl; whisk thoroughly. Place fish in a single layer in the baking dish, allowing space between the fillets. Pour ginger-lime sauce over the fish and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the thickest fillet flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with cilantro and scallions.

Calories 169, Fat 3 g, Carbs 5 g, Sodium 739 mg, Fiber 1 g.

2009-01-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

Happy 2009 to all!! The Herman's are getting into shape this year...We bought a Wii Fit for the family for Christmas and we are working out.

Lucas is "training" to get himself ready for turkey season. He's hoping to get his second turkey with his bow this year. He's got a lot of work to do but he's committed to working on it.

Sarah has become quite the Herman Chef....we got her an easy bake oven for Christmas so she's baked a couple of cake and made us dinner. She is such a good helper!!

Baxter is crazy as ever...Lucas and Dan are determined to make him into a "huntin' dog". We'll see how that goes...

Hope all is well with everyone...sorry it has taken us so long to get this sent out but we've been busy. Please enjoy the photos we've loaded and keep checking back for more!

2009-01-07T00:35:00.000-05:00

2009-01-04T16:55:00.000-05:00

Christmas Lake Village Fest of Lights 2008

There had to be 1,000 cars go thru there that night so we had to keep moving...not the ideal situation for taking pictures of christmas lights. So this is all I got!

2008-12-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

2008-12-09T22:35:00.000-05:00

Friday, Dec. 5th

Waiting for Santa....can you believe he came alllllll the way to Jasper????

2008-12-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas on the Jasper Square!

2008-12-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

Oh Christmas Tree (& Baxter) ....Oh Christmas Tree (& Baxter).....lalala...lala

The ouside of the house!

The Christmas tree from inside...

Our stockings...

WE ARE....

2008-11-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

We're dancin'.....We're festive.....

The ouside of the Herman household - Christmas 2008

Honeymoon Photos...

2008-11-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

View from our neighbor's room....gorgeous!

Dan at the Beach Palace...this was about 30 minutes from our resort.
Dan got a photo of me on our resort (the Moon Palace) just before sunset.

Random Wedding/Honeymoon

2008-11-28T12:30:00.000-05:00

Dan and I on the zip line!

Dan and Andrea are ready to take your $$! The night before our wedding...Sue, me and Andrea.
Me and Sarah...right before the wedding started.

2008-11-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

Wedding photos...

2008-11-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

First Try

2008-11-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

I've never done this before....so we're going to try it.

Here is a wedding photo...seeing if people can see it. We'll post more after the testing process...