I've been enjoying some really great salads lately!

      I can hardly stop eating to write this! It is so good! And I just made it up! Except for the balsamic dressing recipe. I did modify it slightly by omitting the maple syrup and Dijon mustard. It's not Trim Healthy Mama friendly I don't think, but it's sure healthy! I was reading a post from Wellness Mama and the topic was the thyroid. She said that iodine deficiency can disrupt the function of the thyroid. One way to get more iodine is to consume veggies like onions and artichoke hearts. Kelp is another way, but I don't have access to that other than in supplement tablets, which I take daily. Needless to say, my salads have been full of yummy artichoke hearts and onions, lately! I see that I can't follow ANY diet rigidly, so I do the best that I can! I love all the wrong things! Pizza, rolls, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, cheesecake, salty and sweet crunchy things, etc. I actually made popcorn for my crunchy snack last night. I intended to make caramel corn, a big no-no, but when I tasted the popcorn, it was so good I had to eat it plain! At least I didn't pick up the box of Cheez-its, which taste terrible to me now, but satisfy the crunch factor! What is your favorite snack or food?

      I'm sure ya'll get a kick out of reading my blog cause you don't ever know what I'm going to write about! I hope that's OK, cause sometimes things just come to me on a whim! I love to craft things and just now made a teacher gift for Win's teacher. I saved some empty peanut canisters (I love the crunchy, salty taste of peanuts!) and put some Fall-looking scrapbook paper around it, and a Treats, Not Tricks label on top of it. I'm going to buy a small bag of candy to go inside and give it to her. The lid is still blue and looks funny that way but I didn't know what else to do with it. I think it will be alright.

      Skylar's 18th. (I can't believe my baby is turning 18!) birthday is coming this Tuesday and we are taking him to the Bass Pro Shop in Birmingham to get him a new rod and reel. All of a sudden, he's into fishing! He went with his Dad and Poppa this past Saturday and caught a really big catfish! He was trying for a bass when he caught it. Maybe he'll be a pro-fisherman one day!
I'm curious to see where he'll want to eat! Probably Sumo's or Styx! He loves Japanese restaurants!

      We're still experiencing really warm days with temps dropping into the upper fifties at night. I wear shorts and a tank everyday, just like summer. But I'm still wanting some more pumpkin bread! Don't tell the Trim Healthy Mama people, but I'm going to make some soon! I'm feeling better about myself and I'm walking almost everyday and working out with weights 3x a week! I believe in moderation! I just don't need to eat the whole loaf! Maybe I can share some with ya'll! Have a nice weekend! Blessings from Bama!

Today's salad with tilapia cooked on the grill.

Apples after being dehydrated.

Prepping of apples for dehydrator.

Sometimes the peeling wraps itself back around the apple. I found I had to peel both ends of every apple. I wished to peeler would do that!

The dehydrator full of apples!

Surprise! A birthday cheesecake I made for April! I love these and want to make a pumpkin one! This was vanilla and oh so good!

Aren't these mums pretty!

And check out these Angel Trumpet flowers! They are so pretty!