Monday, July 12th. I rode my bike today. I am trying to lose 10 pounds before my graduation. How is it you can gain 1-2 pounds in one day of splurging, but it takes 2-3 weeks to lose those pounds?!?

I rode my bike 5 days last week and I have been very careful as to what I eat, how much, when, etc.

Grandma Nena made Pupusas. It takes her all day long to make them. She thawed the meat. 

Washed it carefully. Trimmed it and cut it into smaller pieces. I simply cook it frozen with a little water.

She makes homemade sauce and slowly cooks it to perfection. Mine is a combination of salsa and spaghetti sauce.

She lets the masa set. I use it the minute I mix it.

The verdict? We both make incredible Pupusas. I like more cheese in mine...that perhaps is the only difference...except that I save 3-4 hours in prep time...Hum....something to think about.

Tuesday, July 13. Today, it reached 101 degrees, and with the weekend rains, it was hot and muggy. It felt like Houston. Fito and all the older children were taking apart a green house. We bought it this summer for $500, but we have to take it apart, move it, and then reassemble it on our land.

I went to Sonic at Happy Hour and bought each of them a Route 44 slushie. Then I bought 10 burgers, 10 chicken sandwiches, and 5 fries from the dollar menu. That is how big families eat out.

Except, we usually have the rule, that when we eat out, no one is allowed to buy a drink. This saves quite a bit of money.

I also went to the Dairy for 3 gallons of fresh milk to use for cream and cheese, then to Braums for 6 gallons of drinking milk. I was BAD and I stopped at Krispie Kreme donuts. My rationalization was that the teens needed a treat as they had been working so hard the past several days in the heat. I ate 3! Auugh!

Wednesday, July 14th. We went to the Spanish market yesterday and bought tostados, fish, watermelon, corn, and cantaloupe.

Today, Nena fried the fish for Rebeca and the adults and took the tostados and piled on refried beans, cream, and cheese. A simple, easy meal with little work.

Thursday, July 15th. Friday, July 16th. Saturday, July 17th, and Sunday, July 18th. These 4 days just seemed to melt together. Fito and I were at our church's Temple for 3 of the days.

I did not cook at all. Grandma Nena did. She made Posole one day , Pupusas one day, and eggs another.

Grandma Nena has also been collecting tomatoes, chili peppers, and bell peppers out of the garden and washing, cutting, and bagging them for the freezer. In the winter, I will take all this stuff and turn it into salsa.

I did bake on Sunday. I made Snicker Doodles.

I accidentally melted the butter, instead of defrosting it, but mixed it all together anyway. The dough was too soft so I put it into the refrigerator. I pulled it out later and it made the BEST cookies ever! Now I wonder if the melted butter made the difference. I t definitely made it easier to mix the dough. I will try it again and see what happens.