Still no Joy

Sorry everyone but I think I need another week to rest up. My ears are all plugged up and I'm not up to "speaking" when I can't even hear myself talk. I do want to remind you all that next week we will be meeting at the Mans. Library at 7:00 instead of our regular JOY meeting. Hope to see you all there! Have a good week and God Bless.

No JOY!

Joy is cancelled tomorrow night. I'm still very sick and in need of all of your prayers. I don't think I've ever been this sick before in my life. Well God bless ladies and have a great week.

March of Dimes Walk

Well for those of you that still went today I hope you had a fantastic time! We actually managed to raise over $100 - congrats!
Looks like over 250 people turned out for the walk - that's awesome! You can read all about it here:
Walkers turn out for five-mile March for Babies

I spent last night at the ER with a temp of 103.9 - Keep me in your prayers, turns out it's strep after all. Hopefully with the antibiotics and plenty of rest I will begin to get well soon.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Important Announcement about the March of Dimes Walk

Due to the fact that I am still very ill I really don't think I will be able to participate in the walk on Saturday. I just don't forsee myself getting well enough to go with you. I will warn you though that I won't be the only one missing - some of the other members will be travelling south for a funeral this weekend so I'll leave it up to the rest of you whether or not you still want to participate. Those of you that are still interested in going are free to do so and if you need directions just give me a call or send me a message.

Please keep me in your prayers. I am very sick. I went to the dr. and all they had to say was that I had all the symptoms of strep but it's not strep - go figure! It's just a severe viral infection or something like that. I can't eat, I can't drink, I haven't slept well in about 2 days and my body feels like I've been hit by a truck. Also be praying for those that are heading south this weekend. God give them peace and comfort in this time of sorrow!

Wordless Wednesday

Just 3 days left!!!!!!!

There are just 3 days left to donate to our March For Babies Walk. Please click here and leave us a donation:

A Joyful Walk

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken Soup for a Cold

I have a bad head cold right now with probably the worst sore throat I've had in years. So in honor of that I've decided to post a nice soothing chicken soup recipe with a little kick. This recipe takes advantage of leftovers or you can start from completely fresh ingredients. I usually make this when I have leftover roasted chicken. I've also found an article that discusses foods to help a cold - http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/hl/nutrition/article/0,13803,734808,00.html

Chicken Soup for a Cold

4 cans 98% fat free chicken broth
4 - 6 cans water (depending on how much broth you like in your soup)
2 Tbsp. Parsley
1 tbsp black pepper
1 - 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 - 2 cups chopped, diced or shredded chicken (I usually debone the remainder of a roasted chicken that we've had the night before)
1 can carrots (do not drain liquid)
1 can green beans (do not drain)
1 can corn (do not drain)
1 - 2 stalks celery diced (this is optional and I really do not like celery so I usually leave this out)
1/2 bag egg noodles

Put all ingredients except for egg noodles into a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil and then add the egg noodles. Cook just until noodles are tender and immediately remove from heat. Noodles must be added last or they will get very soft and mushy. The chicken broth combined with the hot pepper makes for a great food for a cold. More or less pepper can be used. I like mine very spicy!

No Recipe Today or Devotional

But I will tell you about the new challenge we started. This is our kick-off to summer. We started our own version of The Biggest Loser but ours is called the Joyous Loser. This is our second week in and so far we've had two women already lose over 3 pounds each (wtg girls, I'm so proud of you!). The challenge will last 12 weeks - to June 24th - just like biggest loser. We will also go by highest percentage of weight loss. The winner of the weight challenge will win an actual cash prize - just like TBL. I'm also throwing in some other challenges just so everyone gets a chance at a prize. The idea is to jump-start us to getting in shape for the summer. We will have an inch worm prize which is the most inches lost, an exercise prize which is the most minutes of exercise collectively over the 12 weeks, the chug prize which is the most 8 oz. glasses of water drunk over the 12 weeks, the goal getter prize which is a prize for those who reach their personal goals at the end of the 12 weeks - for example my goal is to lose 30 pounds, and there will also be a prize for the most attendance. Everyone who participates will also get a little token or prize - probably a charm for the bracelets. My hope is that this will be the final push and motivation we've all needed. I know I for one definitely needed this! We will be keeping track of the results every week by posting it on white boards. There is also one more thing to this challenge that I'm not sure anyone likes, but maybe it will be a great motivator lol - We have the Unjoyful Gainer board. Just like on TBL, where everyone can see if you've done good or bad, the Unjoyful Gainer board is for those who gain during the week and the name will stay up until there's a loss again. I'm hoping and praying that I don't ever have to put my name up there lol. Pray for us on this journey - and feel free to join us by posting your weekly results every week either on the forum or you can post a comment on the posts here on the blog.

I'm getting behind again

Yes I realize I totally forgot to post all the posts at the end of the week last week and I haven't gotten around to posting the devotional today. Hey I've been out getting some exercise and enjoying this 75 degree weather we've been having. Here in Ohio we've got to take the good weather when we get it lol. I walked 45 minutes yesterday and over an hour today! I will try, try, try to post it [the devotional] tomorrow along with the Tuesday recipe. I will also be posting about the new challenge we started in JOY called "The Joyous Loser." It's gonna be a good one! God Bless everyone and have a great week!

Oh and so I'm not leaving you totally empty handed here's a quote to get you through until my next post *grin* -

"What fools indeed we mortals are
To lavish care upon a Car,
With ne'er a bit of time to see
About our own machinery!"
~John Kendrick Bangs

Wordless Wednesday - Genesis 28:15

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Tasty Tuesday Recipe - Meringue Cookies

This recipe is a bit labor intensive but is well worth the effort. These little melt in your mouth goodies are only about 30 calories each! You can mix in any number of ingredients to have a different cookie each time. Try crushed peppermint instead of chocolate chips, or toffee bits, crushed butterscotch candies, or you can even try different extracts for an entirely different flavor. One tip is to place the batter into a cake icing bag and squeeze these out onto the pan in a "kiss" shape.


Meringue Cookies

4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups baker's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups of mini chocolate chips

Cover 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they hold very stiff peaks. Add the salt. While beating at a high speed gradually add the sugar in a stream to incorporate. Add the vanilla. Fold the mini chocolate chips in very gently by hand. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Because this is a stiff batter they do not need a lot of space between them - they have already done their rising. Bake them in a 170 degree oven for about two hours, or more. Cool on racks before storing. For added sweetness you can dust the tops of these with a little powder sugar. Can be stored in the fridge (in an air tight container) for up to two weeks or store them in the freezer for 3 months.