Deanna Doss Shrodes

Sightseeing for two days led to a craving to do nothing and everything at the same time, yesterday. Sleeping in. Staying in jammies. Reading. Watching movies. Cuddling. And all that's great about spending a quiet day together. When evening came, Larry said he wanted to try a spot that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives . It's a place called Sherman's with locations in Palm Springs and Palm Desert. Something hilarious happened soon after we arrived. The server overheard Larry and I having a conversation about the selections on the menu . We were just talking in the same manner that we always do, but she took something more from the conversation. Something we never said!  Larry overheard her tell her co-workers, "These people are food critics!" She thought we were there to scope it out and write a story about the place. We decided to say nothing and let them think what they wanted to. You know what they say about assuming. Staying quiet w...

Allow me to introduce you to my latest love affair that I'm having at lunch.  So yummy!  Try this... Take a whole wheat Sandwich Thin (Arnold brand pictured here.  Right now my favorite are the "All Natural Flax & Fiber" ones.) Spread 1 Tbsp of Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese on it  Top with a 2 slices of low fat turkey breast or low fat roast beef on it.  (I also get low sodium) Enjoy!  (6 pts. on WW Plus) I am absolutely crazy about this and eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner at times.  Simple, and deeeelicious!  Sometimes if I have the extra point and want more cream cheese I add one more Tbsp. This week I have enjoyed it as well as another new lunch love, introduced to me by my friend Patrice Migliore Viscuso (a friend from bible college days, also a fellow Weight Watcher).  The follow soup has ZERO points.  That's right, nada, zip, ZERO!  I'm a soup lover and eat it even in the summe...

Yesterday I had meetings most of the day and my husband went to the airport to get his parents late in the afternoon  as they were coming in from Maryland for the week.  My workday ended at 5:45 PM and then we all headed out Kobe for dinner, which is our family's favorite place to eat together for special occasions. Right before we left for dinner I called my husband in the room to tell him of a difficult decision I was faced with  right at the tail end of the day.  I didn't ask him to solve it -- it's something that is mine to deal with -- I just wanted a hug, and he obliged.   I don't enjoy the pressure that often accompanies leadership.  First, there is the kind of pressure that spurs you on to be a better leader.  A person who served as my life/church coach told me that we all tend to lead better in a crisis.  This is true for me at times.  I see amazing things come of the critical times when I need to rise to the occasion and s...

Today will not be the same "Fun Friday" as it normally is today due to some things on the agenda so thankfully Larry and I were able to break away for a short date last night. While out and about we went to frozen yogurt shop in Wiregrass Shops called MochiBerri.   They specialize in traditional flavors as well as some unique new ones.   They make them with fresh, all natural ingredients.    Their fresh fruit toppings are cut throughout the day and include various nuts, candies, mochi and liquid syrups.  I had an opportunity to try real MochiBerri for the first time!  I had never heard of it before.  It's like a marshmallow, only healthier.  Everything at MochiBerri is "create your own" and you have opportunity to make your own masterpiece and then they weigh  it and this determines the cost.  It was very reasonable and they also serve smoothies and coffee.  Best of all, Larry and I had opportunity to meet and talk to the owner, ...

Yesterday I shared about  my long time struggle with weight management and wellness and the fact that it really never gets easier, but that it's not an excuse to give up. Even though it doesn't get easier I've found that some things are helpful to me on the journey.  I've found it's key to share with others about this because those who struggle learn so much from each other.  (That's one of the reasons I'm committed to Weight Watcher meetings -- as they say, "the meetings are the magic.") I thought I'd share a few things that are helpful to me since this is a topic that seems to resonate with so many, and quite frankly I've learned that wellness has so much to do with how I'm doing as a woman, wife, mother, minister, employee, friend, etc.  It affects EVERYTHING. Here we go... Accountability WW meetings, plus a few friends I'm accountable to who ask me the hard questions. With a full house of others who are not all on the sam...

I have been back on the journey to wellness for a while now. This is not a new year's resolution.  I knew way before the new year that I needed to make some big changes to not only get back to where I need to be, but beyond where I used to be.  One reason I committed to this before the holidays ever came was because I knew Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year would pack at least another 10 lbs onto me and take me even further down a spiral I didn't need to be going on.  I needed to get a grip on things before then.  So, I did. How's it going?  Very slow, but steady.  I'm learning that once you hit 40, it's harder than it was before.  It's like the weight goes off of you kicking and screaming, pulling to stay on you like a toddler in the candy aisle.  It's so frustrating at times but I'm just determined to not let it keep it's monstrous hold on me.   I don't really talk about it a lot (and really haven't blogged about it at all) even ...

This post will be short as I'm wanting to spend time today finalizing some personal goals for 2011, while also getting ready to celebrate New Year's Eve/Day at our home. Last night, Larry and a friend, Todd Stewart, made 60 pierogies in preparation for tonight.  I came home from shopping with Savanna and made a huge roaster full of cabbage rolls.  We make "Pittsburgh foods" in our home for New Year's Eve, as a tradition.   Friends bring other things to go with it, but these are the main things we prepare for this great night. Yesterday I was given this challenge and I give it to blog readers today: "The greatest thing you have is the 24 hours in front of you.  The past is gone.  The future is distant.  Today you can succeed!  Set a goal you can achieve within 24 hours!" This, you CAN do.   Set a small goal - something you can do in the next 24 hours, and do it!   It's the first step to reaching your bigger goals. Goodbye 2010....

Today is my beloved's birthday. I was really blessed yesterday wondering if it was my birthday instead.  He helped me with the Christmas trees, (all SIX of them) and even fixed the broken one and went out and surprised me by getting pink lights for it and putting it in our bedroom.  Then he cooked dinner.   Jordan got him a cast iron dutch oven from Cracker Barrel and using his new cookware (yes, it's his although I'm sure he'll let me use it)  he made beef stew and biscuits.  It was so good.  He's a great cook. I have a small gift for him today and then we'll go shopping and have him pick something he really wants, from me later this week.  He's a hard person to buy for and most times I have him select whatever it is that he wants to make sure it's what he really likes.  I've gotten him a lot of gifts that have really bombed so I like to err on the safe side.  I'm very thankful for him...it's such a blessing to be married to a ...

If you're like me you are exhausted at the end of the day when you come home from work and the last thing you want to do is get involved in cooking a big meal.  (That's why I love cooking on my day off.  Cooking is one of my favorite things to do but I dread it when I'm tired.) I had jury duty yesterday in Dade City and planned ahead the night before for something really simple for dinner as I didn't know when I'd get home.   I re-created one of my favorite restaurant items for our family's dinner  and most of the preparation was done Sunday night, allowing me to throw dinner together on Monday night in about 5-10 minutes! The following was my at home version of Crispers Southwest Salad, which is my favorite thing on the menu there.  It is served at Crispers with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing.  I couldn't find that in the store and made my own version at home using a bottle of Ken's Lite Ranch, and  1 jalapeno.  I washed and seeded the pepper, ...

Yesterday I was working from home and had a phone appointment until 5:45 pm, and my husband planned a special surprise.  He could hardly wait for me to come out and see what he had planned...an amazing feast of steamed crabs and corn!      I'm from Baltimore and steamed crabs to me are no other way than the B'more way.  We've never been able to find them here in Florida but yesterday Larry was driving home from work and saw a sign that advertised blue crabs.  He stopped and ask the man if he could steam them our way.  The man had no clue what he was talking about and Larry had to explain to him how to do it with the Old Bay Seasoning .  The guy thought it was a little odd (he was a man from the middle east - had never seen anything like it) but he did as Larry asked him to.  The result:  amazing!  I came out of my room and saw everything set up on the table and FREAKED!   I have the most amazing man..  Thanks babe. ...

Last night Savanna wanted to cook dinner for us, which I was thrilled about.  Mondays and Thursdays are my most tiring nights.  Monday because it follows Sunday, and Thursday because it's the last day before my one "day off" a week and by that time I am just so wiped out I can't think straight.  The last thing I want to do is cook dinner on those nights.  Savanna wanted to make us dinner and all on her own she put out the linens, china and stemware and set quite a lovely scene. She made us salad and homemade personal pizzas just like each of us like them individually. ~ mine had olives and bacon, Larry's was pepperoni and Savanna's was plain cheese.   For dessert we had strawberries and bananas dipped in chocolate sauce.  Mmmm  mmmm!!!  So much for watching my calories tonight, (I'm trying to stay on track) however if you knew what I had for lunch yesterday (long story) you would also  know that I could basically eat any...

Recently when Larry and I were traveling through the mountains of Georgia and Tennessee we stopped at a Schlotzsky’s Deli to eat lunch. I have never eaten at a Schlotzsky’s except for once in high school and I can’t remember what I ate as that has been a few years ago. Larry ordered a chicken sandwich but I knew immediately what I would be having – their “original” sandwich. When I go to a place to eat for the first time, I like to do that to get a feel for what made the person or business successful in the first place. Larry was surprised that I didn’t add mayonnaise to the sandwich. I explained to him I always order the item “as is” to get the true experience of what made them famous and not dilute it by my own preferences. He would rather just order what he wants the first time and doesn’t care about what made people famous. But I’m curious about what catapults people or businesses to success, so this is what I do. It’s also how I’ve come to like a few sandwiches I would hav...

I was hoping that there would be a crock pot in the kitchen at the cabin.  I really wanted to cook with one while we were here but  not bad enough to lug one of mine from Tampa.  I just didn't have a desire to pack "everything but the kitchen sink" and planned to improvise.  Imagine my delight when I got here and saw that there was a little crock pot -- big enough to make food for just about 2 people...which is all I need because that's all I'm cooking for this week. Crock pot meals are some of my favorite and always have been since we've been married.  I love it because you can make the food the night before or early that morning, turn it on and then forget about it until you're ready to eat.  When we're home in Tampa going about our regular schedule it's nice to walk in the door from work, or from church on Sunday and have our meal already waiting for us. If you are really wanting to get into crock pot cooking you really need the book, F...

I am enjoying "Moonlight Path" baths by candlelight... The view from the top of the stairs as you step out of our bedroom... I enjoy looking out all the many large windows of the cabin, sitting in front of one of the fireplaces, drinking my tea and just listening to the sound of...NOTHING.  I've needed this so much. The view from the front porch... In between looking out windows, I've been reading books that I've had on my list to read.  I just finished Francis Chan's Crazy Love .  It pretty much rocked my world.  Larry trying to make it up the hill...as he finally successfully did late yesterday afternoon.  (Thanks to all of you who prayed...)  The problem is, it's a steep hill and we were informed yesterday -- a private drive.   It never got plowed, because it's a private road.  The maintenance man just salted it.  It is very hard to go up an unplowed hill, obviously.  Very kind man (see him between the trees) ...

This weekend I have had some work to do, however, the majority of it has been downtime, and how I  have needed it after working 16 hour days for the launch.  This is my first bit of time off in a while so it's been full of fun this weekend so far and there's more to come!  (Wait til you see what I'm doing tomorrow!!!)   Thursday night after work we went to see the movie "To Save a Life."   It was amazing.  Can't wait to see it again and take a bunch more people with us!  I can't recommend it enough.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE go see it! Tonight (Friday night) we went to the Greek Festival in St. Pete.  We went with the Rivera's and Torres's.  Everything was amazing.  I love Greek culture - everything about it.  I'm 50% Greek in case you would like to know that tidbit of info... So, we ate dinner there and Candy ended up dancing with some ladies and I took a ton of pictures.  We took our own little t...

We had about 50 or so people over for a New Year's Eve party as we normally do.  It varies how many we have over and we would have liked to have had more but you know you have to cut off the guest list at some point.  So this was our limit this year.  I made a roaster full of cabbage rolls and Larry made perogies.  We always have a "taste of Pittsburgh" to bring in the new year.  And, Larry and Savanna and I all wore our Steelers shirts.  Michele is trying to turn over a new leaf with cooking this year and actually learn how to do some things.  She came a few hours early to help Larry do the perogies and learn how.  She did a great job!  Everyone brought a dish to share and we had some amazing stuff here.  Best part of all was the conversation and loads of laughter.