Surviving

This past week was the church youth group's invite night, something they do every other month or so to encourage the teens to bring their friends and just have fun. In short, it's a bit like a youth rally, but it's actually a lot of fun. The last theme was American Idol, this week's theme was Survivor.
Before I go on, I must say that I had SO much fun volunteering and helping with the event. I arrived, and the excitement in the sanctuary and narthex was so strong you couldn't help but get swept up in it. The night had music, dinner, a short message and, of course, the Survivor challenges: physical, trivia, puzzle and eating. Yes, they ate worms. And crickets. It was...interesting. And a lot of fun.
But I digress.

The message was about surviving, to go along with the theme, of course. Robert, our youth leader, gave a wonderful message that included his own story of surviving, barely, and finding his faith in God. Though it did not make everything perfect, it turned his life around and gave him a different view, a view on life where he was bent to survive.

While he was speaking, I was thinking about my own survival. Though my life of depression is neither as intense as Robert's, nor did it start as early as his, it is still a life of depression, a life of needing to work towards surviving.

This week has been hard for me. It's frustrating, because I felt like I was just getting my head above water, finding my ground, finding my niche in this time of my life. I can't tell you what exactly pulled my feet back out from under me, what wave flowed over me this week, but something did, and I ended up having a meltdown today, something that hasn't happened in a few weeks.
I started census training this week, and will be going out next week to be enumerating. It could have been the combination of being in "class" most of the week (listening to the same things again and again, for the record), and having something to do Wednesday and Thursday night, which took me away from time on the couch with Geoff, my favorite way to unwind.

Whatever caused it, whatever caused me to sob like a baby about things that I can neither control nor are an issue right now, my path is clear. I can either allow myself to stay underwater, or I can survive. I don't know about you, but I want to survive.

They say you never recover from alcoholism, that you are always an alcoholic. I think, in some ways, that the same is true with depression. There's no recovery from it, it's always there. Sometimes I'm lying on the beach, sunning myself happily, sometimes I'm standing in the water, under control, but with cold feet. Sometimes, like this week, I venture out too far, and the waves sweep me under. I'll find my feet again, things will get better and I'll be on the beach again. I'll survive.

Garden update!

It's hard to keep updated on my garden because right now it's growing so fast! Though it's been a little bit of work every few days because we have to keep transplanting the plants into larger pots, I'm happy with how it's turning out, and can't wait to see the fruits (or vegetables!) of our labor!

Last week I posted on Freecycle (remember how much I love Freecycle??) asking for large pots and possibly a topsy turvy tomato planter (hey, it was worth a shot!) I ended up with a couple large planters (not as big as the one we bought, but still big enough for a couple plants) so on Saturday we planted our quickly growing seedlings into the larger pots!

Currently our balcony looks a little, well, sparse, but I can't wait for the plants to get bigger and become visible over the edge of the pots! Plus, we have a couple bulbs that are starting to grow as well, so flowers will bring a little more color to the balcony.

These tomato plants aren't ready to spend the nights outside. I'm trying to toughen them up by bringing them outside every day and taking them in at night. I can't wait for them to grow bigger so we can put them in more permanent pots!
I love gardening! How about you? How are you gardening this year?

I would never let this happen...

When I came home from the grocery store, I discovered that a whole chicken I'd just bought had leaked into my reusable bag!! Normally I would have thrown the chicken in a small plastic bag, but I didn't think time and regretted it!

Of course, I was hungry, and didn't feel like dealing with it, so after putting the chicken into the freezer, I set the bag aside to eat lunch and deal with it later (luckily it leaked only onto the plastic bottom, so I can just wash that off).

Well, someone else had other ideas! I looked up to see Hermione cleaning out the bag for me!

Of course I stopped her, right? Um, no. I quietly snuck over to try and take a picture!

Caught licking her lips!
Don't worry, I will still wash off the plastic bottom. I just couldn't resist taking a few pictures of our little troublemaker!

Homemade Breadcrumbs

Homemade breadcrumbs are one of those things I never thought I'd be doing. I mean, breadcrumbs are so cheap at the store, why would I bother to make them myself?
Maybe because that way I would waste all this lovely bread that is otherwise useless, or, ahem, stale because I didn't eat it fast enough.

Plus, making breadcrumbs is easy! I store my bread heels in the freezer, usually, until the bag is full enough that I need to do something with the bread or else continue to fill the freezer with bags of bread. Anyway, the bread can be fresh or stale, but I like to defrost it beforehand. Just a personal preference. Rip the pieces of bread up and throw them in one of our best investments ever: a food processor.

I bet you can guess the next step! Process it! (Or whatever it's called when you turn the food processor on)

Finally, because the crumbs will be soft, I like to bake them, though I suppose you could leave them out on a baking sheet overnight if you aren't in an incredibly humid location. Don't broil them unless you're right there. I may or may not have accidentally burned some of my crumbs doing that. Though it didn't matter too much because, well, they're just bread crumbs!

And that's it! See? Told you it was easy!

Composting 101

I am, by no means, a composting expert. However, I have attempted several composts now, and done a significant amount of research, so I feel confident that I can help at least a few of you! Plus, I've received several comments lately (both on the blog and off) asking about composting, so I figured, in light of it being Earth Day, well, yesterday, a compost post was appropriate. (Sorry I didn't get around to posting this ON Earth Day!)

The composts I have started have always been for apartments, so I will discuss small-container composting for you today. Someday I do hope to get a large container compost for my backyard, but since I don't have a backyard at the moment, my rubbermaid container will have to do.
Yup, that's all I have. A rubbermaid container full of food waste! Composting is easy, cheap, and even saves money...I'm taking the trash out only once a week for the two of us because there are fewer things in there that make it smell!

To start a compost, go buy a medium sized plastic bin, and drill holes in all four sides, the top and bottom. This is important for air circulation and allowing rain water in and the compost to drain properly.
Next, rip up newspaper, scrap paper, junk mail and whatever you can find and fill the bottom of the bin. Next, pour some water over the paper, enough to wet it, but not soaked. The compost should remain wet but not sopping wet, that will make it mold and smell, which is bad.
After that, you're ready to add food! I keep an old plastic bowl next to my sink and when it gets full (or smelly) I will bring it out to the compost which sits right outside our back door, just off the kitchen, conveniently! About once a week I go out there with some nice yellow kitchen gloves and stir it.

If you are impatient and want to speed up the process, you could try adding worms to your compost. We have done that in the past, and probably will again this year. I typically get my worms online, and if it's just one or two of you adding to the compost, I would recommend 500 or about a pound of worms, depending on how they are sold. I got mine online, at Uncle Jim's Worm Farm, but you can get them just about anywhere online. I haven't tried to get them in a store yet, but if you do make sure they are red worms, because those are the best for composts. Worms, of course, are completely optional in your compost!

I would suggest not keeping the compost in the house, or buying into those types of composts that say they don't smell and you can keep them in the house, because, honestly, I don't believe it. Plus, when your compost is outside, it is more likely to bring critters that will help out the process.
You can put most anything in the compost, with the exception of oil and meat products. I tend to avoid bread, but that's only really because it gets too wet in this climate and tends to mold, so our bread usually has to go in the trash.

So, how did I do? Do you have any composting 101 questions for me? Or anything else to add?

Growth!

I have been meaning to update about our veggies for the past few days, but just haven't gotten around to taking pictures to show their growth. Today, however, I realized that if I don't update soon, the next update will show actual veggies!

On Saturday we headed to Home Depot (actually, Geoff went alone, as I was at a CPR/First Aid training all morning) and came back with, well, a small garden! We were able to fit the cucumbers and sugar snap peas in this one large planter, but our other smaller plants weren't ready yet, so we left them alone.
We do plan on getting a Topsy Turvy tomato planter (or two...we planted 4 tomato plants!) for the tomatoes, which aren't ready to go out in the weather. Earlier this week I did have to move the zucchini (or yellow squash, honestly I don't know which grew and which ended up being duds!) into a couple smaller pots until we can get another large planter.

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with the progress at the moment! I was a little worried that it would be too cold outside, but I think we've had our last frost here, and they're in an excellent place for sunlight here. Needless to say, I'm quite thrilled with the progress!

We also bought a strawberry plant, which, after some research I discovered that it will produce fruit for about 3 years before we have to "retire" it. The only issue I foresee with this, is birds! So I will have to make sure no one eats the fruit before we can!

Though there was a rather large initial cost in investing in the pots and soil, I'm OK with that, because we will be able to use them all again and again, especially since I don't know how long it will be before we have our own "real" garden.

Menu plan Monday, Weight Watchers edition!

Geoff and I have been frustratingly unsuccessful at Weight Watchers lately, and as such I'm not only planning dinner, but breakfast and lunch, and we're both going to eat the same things. Here's hoping for a better week.
It'll require a little extra planning and work in the kitchen to make some of these lunches for the next day, but I'm confident that we'll be OK. This week's meals are mostly from the Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook. And, as always, Menu Plan Monday is brought to you by orgjunkie.com!

Sunday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: Sandwich for Geoff (I will be eating at church so I'm not sure what I'm eating)
Dinner: Hearty steak and vegetables

Monday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: Avocado, spinach and feta wrap
Dinner: Rosemary chicken with potatoes

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: Turkey wrap with yogurt sauce
Dinner: Grilled chicken (we'll want some leftover for later this week), roasted broccoli and any other veggies we have in the house, cous cous.

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: Creamy tomato soup
Dinner: Leftovers and youth group dinner (for me)

Thursday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: Pasta salad with apple and chicken
Dinner: Out (this is our weigh-in night...so we eat something totally unhealthy)

Friday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit
Lunch: Creamy tomato soup
Dinner: Breakfast for dinner: scrambled eggs, bacon and fruit.

I'm really really hoping this is a better week for us!

Six days into seed growing...

My seeds have graduated! They are no longer seeds and are now sprouts! I'm so happy about them!

If I'm not mistaken, those are sugar snap peas in the first picture, and cucumber in the last one. One of the squash has started to grow, and even though you can't see it, the tomatoes are as well! I'm extremely happy with how they have turned out so far! Since I've managed to go almost a week without killing any of them, I have hope!

Hermione is impressed too.

Food Waste Friday success!

I'm very happy to report that we have NO waste this week!! We were great about eating our leftovers, but I do have to say that I ate out one night this week and a couple lunches...so it's actually a small miracle that we ate everything we had.
I also wanted to show a picture of my fridge, because I think this is what success looks like, at least in this house! (Note that we're going grocery shopping on Sunday, so it won't be empty for long!)

It looks slightly pathetically empty, but really, I'm OK with that! Dinner tonight is fruit (there are pineapples and strawberries in there to eat), bacon and eggs, and there's lunch meat in one of the drawers for lunch tomorrow. Dinner will be determined tonight, but the freezer is plenty full so I'm sure we'll find something!
As always, food waste Friday is brought to you by The Frugal Girl!

Sprouts!

No matter how old I get, I still find it fascinating to see seeds sprouting through the dirt.

On Saturday Geoff and found a farmer's market in the area. We bought local honey (and honey sticks), a delicious mixture for chicken parm that we had Monday night, and mostly just walked and looked. Since it's still a little cool here for growing things, there were many more crafts than produce, but we still had fun.
After that I was inspired to start our own garden. Since we live in a townhouse there really isn't the place for a garden, however I have noticed a fair amount of our neighbors with plants and pots on their balcony, so I thought I'd give it a try myself. As it happens, our balcony faces the east and gets a lot of sun, which is important up here in the Pacific Northwest!
Anyway, as you can see, my seeds aren't ready to go outside, but they are growing fast. I will keep updating their status, and hopefully we will be eating some yummy home-grown cucumbers, sugar snap peas, squash, zucchini and tomatoes! Or at least some of those things, since I can't guarantee they will all live to see the sun!

For now, I'm just enjoying watching them grow!

Food Waste Friday addendum

We had a casualty in the food waste department this week...one that I did not even see coming, and didn't notice until Sunday! It was my homemade bread. Sadly, I even discovered it when I went to make a sandwich! It was very upsetting. I lost about half a loaf because we didn't eat it fast enough. Luckily for me, The Frugal Girl blogged today about storing homemade bread, so when I make my next loaf (most likely tomorrow, as I'm quite busy today) I will most definitely be using some of her preservation tips.

It was interesting to note that, according to her, the reason it doesn't last as long as store bread is because it doesn't contain any preservatives in it. Of course I knew this in the back of my mind, but I needed the reminder. It made me happy that I didn't succumb and buy store bread yesterday after discovering our ruined bread, and it makes me really happy that I have the time (for now, at least) to make our own bread. Though I'm not sure I'll ever be able to go back to store bought bread again, at least for sandwiches!

Sometimes a nice reaffirmation that I'm doing the right thing (or a good thing) is nice.

Manifestations

I recently had a friend ask me if she was depressed. She described her feelings, I told her I thought she might be, and encouraged her to see a counselor. Luckily she's in school and can see one on campus for free. Part of our conversation, however, really struck me. She mentioned that she didn't think she should be depressed. She has a lot of (stressful) things going on in her life right now, but they are exciting things, so what cause does she have to be depressed?

Right there. That is what stopped me for years from getting the help I needed. Why should I be depressed? I'm not lying in bed all day, sleeping, or unable to drag myself out of bed, so I'm not depressed, right? I have exciting things going on, whether it was getting into college for the first time, being in a new relationship or getting married. There was no real reason why I should be depressed, right? Wrong.

The wrong information on depression frustrates me, sometimes. I do realize that psychological disorders of all kinds (mental retardation, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) are relatively new; as little as 50 years ago a bipolar teenager would have been put into a home or hospital forever. Thankfully, now we have medicine to help. I do think, however, that depression is still very misunderstood.

One of the things I've noticed about myself is that I let myself get into a cycle. On the weekends I tend to "take time off" from housework. I don't do laundry, dishes, clean...I'm just lazy with my husband. This is all well and good until Monday morning. Today I'm looking at a load of laundry to wash and fold, another pile to fold, sheets to change, dishes to rotate and fruit to cut up (we bought a lot last night and I like to have them ready to eat so that we don't waste it). And yet, where am I? On the couch and on the computer. Today is especially bad, because since we're going to work out I don't want to get actually dressed until then, so I'm in my pajamas, still.

What makes me get up, get dressed (even if it is in workout clothes) and cut up the strawberries that are sitting on the counter, waiting for me? Part of it is my husband. I can't bear to let him see that I've been lazy all day, so I will take care of the fruit because I know he'll see and comment on that. Sometimes there isn't anything that makes me get up and do what I have to do. Sometimes it's just knowing that when I do get up, I'll be happy I did, and feel successful.

Here goes nothing...

Food Waste Friday...this is it!

Well, multiply that little guy by two, and THAT is it! I feel the need to explain. That is jello with pieces of banana in it. Yuck, I know, but Geoff loves jello with fruit, and I don't like jello of any kind, least of all orange jello. So, when Geoff didn't eat it as fast as it apparently needed to be eaten, and the bananas started to brown and the jello liquified, unfortunately. Geoff threw one away before I could take a picture of both, but there you are. Our food waste is (slowly) getting smaller each week!

Guess who's going to be a census worker??

That's right, a month after I applied, I got a call, asking if I was still available and interested! Of course I was at the gym at the time, and since they're really busy I had to leave a message, so I'm now waiting for them to call me back, but can I just say, yay!!!

My story

Know what really frustrates me about depression? That it's unique. It's difficult to comprehend, especially for someone who has not been depressed. It's also difficult to comprehend for someone who is, but doesn't know it. Am I making sense?
What I'm trying to say is this: I was depressed for a very long time before I even realized that what I was feeling was depression.

You know how, when you're in high school, pretty much everything sucks? Well, that's how I felt, but I thought it was normal. Without a good, talking relationship with my mother at the time, I turned to several people, describing my feelings, and was always met with a blanket "it'll get better," statement. I had no idea what I now realize. I was depressed.

Fast forward through college, which were generally good years. I had my ups and downs, of course, but thanks to good friends and a good residence life, I was able to make it through college in four typical years. After graduating without a job, moving in with my parents and working almost fulltime at Dunkin' Donuts, my depression resurfaced, for a time. Up until this point I still did not realize what it was, however. My best friend was depressed, but of course hers manifested it differently, and she had a trauma that caused her depression as well. I had no trauma, so I wasn't depressed, obviously.

It's important to me to say this before I continue, lest I forget. You don't need a trauma to become depressed. No one needs to die, abandon you or abuse you. Sometimes your brain just doesn't create the right chemicals. And it's OK.

After I started dating Geoff, my future husband, I discovered something I hadn't had in a long time. A confidant. In the beginning, our relationship, though long distance, was new and exciting. I was thrilled to be in a relationship at all, even if he did live on the other side of the country. A month after we started dating I landed my ideal job. I was the sole reporter for a small, weekly, newspaper. I was happy. Those life events and the start of the summer, with longer hours and more daylight kept my depression at bay. But it would not be permanent, unfortunately. I can't tell you what finally pushed me to go to the doctor, but one day I realized I needed help. I was put on prozac and, three days later, I felt amazing. Happier than I've ever felt in my life. It was like a veil was lifted.

There is more to my story, it doesn't end there. I will tell you the rest, eventually, have no fear. But I must leave you with this because, honestly, I have housework to do, and a couch to get up from. It's my own way of fighting depression.

The best scratching post ever

If you have a cat, you know they will scratch things, it's only natural! When I got Hermione, I tried a few different types of scratching posts on her, but couldn't get her to commit to one. The only one she really seemed to enjoy was the couch! Not that my couch right now is expensive or even permanent, seeing as I got it on Freecycle, but eventually I hope to have couches that she won't destroy!
When I discovered this scratching post, I figured since it was cheap, I'd give it a try. She loves it! I'm not sure if it's the fact that it's angled, or if she just likes the feeling of it on her claws, but this one has been a hit!

There are several awesome things about this scratching post:

• It's cheap
• It's reversible (Hermione has destroyed the top and bottom of both sides of this one!)
• Replacements are available, again for cheap!
• The used piece of cardboard is recyclable! Or you can throw it in the compost. I haven't decided what we're doing with this one yet.

As a double score, I discovered that the refills are on clearance for almost 50% off! I bought three packages before realizing that there were two refills in a package, so we're set for a while!

Menu plan Monday!

I've done my job a little too well in terms of cooking out of the pantry and freezer...we have almost nothing left! Which, of course, is a good thing, even if it means spending a little more this week than we did last week on groceries. It all balances out, of course.
(Please let me know if the links don't work...since I am doing Weight Watchers I can see them but I don't know if the general public can!)

Easter Sunday: Geoff and I were going to go out, but instead decided to stay in and have brunch out. Dinner will be grilled pork chops, grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes.
Monday: Weight Watchers chicken teriyaki with broccoli
Tuesday: Cheese and mushroom pizza, canned fruit
Wednesday: Leftovers, because I'm going to be out for dinner with youth group
Thursday: Weight Watchers baked shrimp in lemony garlic sauce, spaghetti, cucumber and tomato salad
Friday: Breakfast for dinner, bacon, eggs and biscuits
Saturday: Night out!

I'm pretty excited about this week, and now that I plan the menu, we do have a lot of this in the house so most of the grocery shopping will be produce this week. We did so well eating our fruits and vegetables last week and not having any of them go to waste that I'm confident we can do it again!

I have a job...

...but before you get too excited, I need to say that it's neither full-time nor library-related. It is, however, kid-related, which is at least close to what I want to do.
I'm going to be watching 4-5 kids a few days a week, for an hour or so at a time, while their daycare provider drives two other kids to school.
I really struggled with whether or not I wanted to take this job. I found it on Craigslist, and with my babysitting and nannying experience was pretty sure I would be offered it, and I was not disappointed. However, I struggled because it's a one year commitment, and she would like me to commit to the end of next school year, in June. I said I would, but in the back of my mind I worry that I've just committed myself to another year of non-library related employment. For $50 a week.
I keep telling myself that this isn't the case. The woman I'll be working for is very nice and understanding, I'm sure if I was able to get a full-time job that wouldn't allow me to continue to come in the afternoons and mornings (the afternoons are really my biggest concern, but even then it's only an hour and it's only 3 days a week), that we could work something out. And, chances are, since I only JUST started to interview to get into the King County Library employment pool, I won't even be getting a real library job until next year anyway.
I wonder sometimes if this is what the next year or two of my life will be like. Will I work a part time job here and there, taking what I can get as long as it's children, teen or book-related in some way? Financially Geoff and I are perfectly fine without me working, however there are things we want, things we would like to save up for that could happen much faster if I had a real job. Things like a house, or, on the short-term, living room furniture that didn't come from Target or Freecycle. It also frustrates me not to be working, not to have my own money to spend, because for the first time in 10 years, I don't have an income all my own.
It was thoughts like this that led me to looking on Craigslist for babysitting jobs. Part-time, here and there, whatever. Even if it is only a little extra money, it's extra money towards something we want but can't have right now.
I do have a lead on another, slightly more interesting job, but since interviews haven't even started yet, I can't elaborate. However, I am confident that I will be offered the position, and even though that too is part time and temporary, I think it will help me much more in getting where I want to eventually work.
This new babysitting job will be good for me, I think. It will get me up and out of the house in the morning (I have to be there by 8:30 and it's about 20 minutes away) and it gets me out of the house. Which is a little amusing, because that is exactly why this woman took on a second job of driving a couple kids to school, because it gets her out of the house! Right now, that is the most important thing I can do, get out.
So it's not library-related. I certainly don't need a masters, or even any type of degree to do it. But it's a job, it keeps me busy and it allows me to contribute (monetarily) to our little family. And for my life right now, that is what is important to me.

Skillet macaroni and cheese or, how to make a cheese sauce

This Weight Watchers recipe is a favorite for me. I don't love food that is overly spicy or has a lot of spices in it, often for me, bland is best. This isn't exciting, of course, but there's something comforting about a nice macaroni and cheese dinner, whether you are a kid or not! This one is from the Weight Watchers Comfort Classics cookbook, which I LOVE, by the way. Totally recommend it. (Note, I looked for this cookbook on half.com and amazon to link it to you, but it's not on half.com and someone on amazon wants $38 for it!! I got mine at Weight Watchers for $10!)

Anyway. The first time Geoff saw me making this recipe, he was impressed that I could make my own cheese sauce! I didn't think much of it, I was only following the recipe! I think this meal tastes so much better than a box of macaroni and cheese (even though that's really cheap!) and it's only 6 points for a cup!

First, cook the macaroni, any type, drain, and set aside. I typically do this while I'm getting everything else ready, to save some time.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet, add flour and cook, whisking constantly for one minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Increase the heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, whisking until cheese is melted.

Add the pasta, stirring to coat.

Preheat the boiler. Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese in the skillet. Broil 5 inches from the heat source, until the crumbs are browned, about 1 minute.
I didn't take a before baking picture, but here is the delicious after!

Here are the ingredients and their amounts:
8 ounces whole-wheat macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon plain dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Serves 4!

Food Waste Friday

I would like to start this week's food waste by saying, it's not my fault!
Well, of course food waste is always my (our) fault, but I suppose I mean that the fact that I have waste this week is simply a matter of, I cleaned out the fridge this week. Which, of course also means that these items should have been in a food waste post several weeks ago. Oops.
Anyway! Nothing that I'm about to show you is from this week's grocery shopping, which means we've eaten everything (and we got a lot of produce!) before it went bad! We do have two zucchinis and a red bell pepper in there that need to be cooked up some time in the next couple days, but overall, we're in good shape.

OK, onto the shame!

We have two different types of yogurt simply because I was going to make smoothies with the fat free plain. Which I did, but not before it was a little too old for me to want to play with anymore. (Also, next time I think I'll get some vanilla next time, but that's another story.) As for the vanilla, I was sending it with Geoff because I'm not a fan of plain yogurt, but it somehow got pushed to the back, and last week we were not on top of packing lunches, so it just wasn't used.
The sour cream on top is from several weeks ago, I'm ashamed to admit. In all three containers there wasn't much more than a serving in each, so it could be worse.

Geoff doesn't do apples, and I honestly don't know where these came from. I did mean to make them into a little applesauce, but we had plenty of little cups of it, and it just never really happened. The lettuce is from before I realized the amazing invention of a head of lettuce! My laziness used to win out and I never was able to finish off a bag of lettuce. But with the head it doesn't go bad nearly as quickly, and we were able to finish off a whole head of lettuce this week, which is unusual for us. Plus, they're cheaper than the bag, of course. So we learned a lesson with apples and lettuce this week.