Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan 206

clean eating weight loss meal plan

Breakfast

Nonfat Greek Yogurt with Banana, Honey & Cinnamon

clean eating meal plan

clean eating meal plan

Mid Morning Snack

All Natural Beet Chips

Homemade chips are the best, but Terra Chips come in close second.

clean eating meal plan

clean eating meal plan

clean eating meal plan

Lunch

Shrimp, Tofu and Cauliflower Rice Bowl

clean eating meal plan

clean eating meal plan

clean eating meal plan

clean eating meal plan

Afternoon Snack

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Krusteaz is a fantastic brand to try.

clean eating meal plan



Dinner

Seasoned Baked Chicken Over Spring Mix Salad




Thank you for your time again at todays Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan!

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

See you soon.

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Vegan Panna Cotta with Stewed Cherries


Its only a week into the new year and Ive already fulfilled one of my new years goals.  Id say that bodes pretty well for the rest of the year.

Throughout my life there have been countless attempts at very unsuccessful gelatin desserts with the panna cotta dinner party disaster almost a year ago being the latest in a long line of less than delicious runny creations.  I decided to shun gelatin all together wondering if perhaps we just werent destined to get along and moved onto the vegan friendly variety, agar agar, a seaweed concoction so great you have to say it twice. 

Ive know about this gelatinous variation for a while now, hearing that its more user friendly and nearly impossible to screw up but the price tag was keeping me from experimenting with it.  The tiny bags of it are around $15 dollars at Whole Foods.   Which was more of a commitment than I was willing to go into for something I might only use once especially considering I just spent the same amount on xanthan gum recently to forge my way into gluten free baking.  Then on a trip through every Asian grocery store in Madison I saw huge bricks of it for less than a dollar and bought some.

So the other night when I needed a fairly quick dessert I pulled out a vegan panna cotta recipe from the goddess of those creamy little desserts and hoped for the best.  Given that it was coconut milk and agave nectar I knew it would still be tasty if it didnt set so it wouldnt be a total bust but I was really hoping for lovely little white custards to top with the left over cherry sauce from a David Lebovitz I had in the refrigerator (which is easy and works just fine with frozen cherries.) 

And that was exactly what I ended up with!  They were gorgeous.  Perfect little cups of sweet coconut custard with a creamy mouth filling texture.  They werent too cloyingly sweet and so were divine with the stewed cherries.  I was so pleased with them and how delicious they were I had to, there wasnt a person on earth that could have kept me from the bliss that was putting coconut pan cotta in my mouth for the second time after so many failures.

So happy 2010 to me Ive conquered gelatin, kind of sort of.  Now I guess Ill have to give the real thing another go.   Seeing as I could gladly eat panna cotta in all of its variations every day this wont be a problem.

Vegan Panna Cotta

1 and 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 block, crumbled or 2 teaspoons agar agar powder
1 cup soy yogurt(regular yogurt will work fine but make for a thinner consistency)

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine the coconut milk, agave nectar and agar agar. Let stand 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes, or until agar has mostly dissolved (there will be some flecks of translucent agar in mixture), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Strain mixture through fine-mesh sieve into small pitcher or measuring cup. Whisk in yogurt and vanilla until smooth. Pour into 4 individual ramekins/custard cups.  Transfer to refrigerator. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour until set.

To serve, immerse bottom half of ramekin or custard cup in hot water about 15 seconds. Run a clean small knife around edge to loosen. Invert onto dessert plate.  Serve with David Lebovitzs amazing stewed cherries.



Original recipe from Enlightened cooking blog.
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25 Weeks

Life in general has been moving along like normal for the most part. I have been keeping busy with work as usual and trying my best to prepare for this transition period that is about to happen. There has definitely been some major changes taking place around our neck of the woods lately.

My pregnancy has been pretty easy, which Im extremely thankful for. I really cant complain about too much. I am amazed with how much body is changing. Right now our June Bug is the size of an ear of corn and weighing in at about 1 1/2 lbs. However, my uterus is the size of a soccer ball which is a little freaky. My cravings are all over the place... from fast food one week to all veggies the next. Im just going with the flow.

I have been wearing maternity pants for probably over a month now. When I finally switched over to them all I could think about was why didnt I do this a LONG time ago. It is so nice to actually feel like I can breathe! Also, my cousin, Leslie, gave me all her maternity clothes since she just had a baby recently. How sweet of her to do and a true blessing. I feel like I may make it through this pregnancy without spending hardly any money on clothes Ill only wear for a few months. YAY!


Remington has definitely been realizing that changes are happening and I have tried to make it very clear to him that he is more than welcome to explore those changes. Any new baby stuff we purchase goes straight to the floor for a few days for him to sniff out and discover what they are all about. I have read that keeping your dog away from baby items only makes the transition harder when the baby comes, so he has had free reign of almost everything. He has also become very clingy to me lately... always following me around and during therapy dog visits leaning his head up against my belly. All my residents are amazed at the changes they have seen in him toward me lately.

Dan and I have been hard at work shuffling our house around and getting the nursery ready. I have felt a little badly because Dan has kind of lost his space in our house, but he has been a trooper during every minute and has done nothing but try to make me happy and do exactly what I want. Im definitely the stressed and anxious one about the baby coming and he is my rock as usual. I am so blessed to have him as my partner... so so blessed.

The most amazing thing I have seen and felt these past few weeks is the amount of movement happening! I am truly shocked at how strong this little human is at just 1 1/2 lbs! One night I was sitting watching TV and our little June Bug was kicking really hard so I decided to try to catch it on video to share with Dan. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched this over and over again in pure amazement!!!


Crazy right! And just FYI... I dont have three belly button holes... two of them are from when I use to have a belly button ring :)

Anyways... more updates to come in the following weeks. Time is flying by so fast that it is hard to keep up, but I will try my best!!!! Hopefully this was a nice little update to keep everyone in the loop!
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Crockpot Ratatouille

Some books are begging to be judged by their covers, cliché or no. Seriously with a title like How to Make Love and Dinner at the Same Time how can you open the glossy little textual vixen without preconceived notions?

The fella and I found this little treat on our last cookbook hunting mission at the library. We just go to the closest library on that particular day were running errands, swoop in and grab an arm load of cookbooks each, then go home and play the lets make a menu for the week game. I grab a pile of French cookbooks and the fella finds a couple on Asian cuisine and whatever else is tickling his Scorpio-ian fancy right about then. This time that happened to be cookpot books.

Surprisingly the recipes in the book are pretty decent and hit upon all the major cuisines without bastardizing them too badly. Rebecca Field Jager should probably stick to the recipes however. On every page there is also a little Sex in the City-esque tip about sex and being a sassy hot lady. It isnt cute and it distracts from the actual point of the book. Crockpotting to have more time to get your grove on is a nice idea, Ill take advice on the former but I can handle the latter thank you very much. And should I ever need any pointers I cant imagine trusting advice about sex found in the cooking section.

Criticism aside her ratatouille was really good. After chopping up the veggies you have nothing else to do. Turn on the crockpot, go to work, come home, eat dinner. A traditional French meal that cooked while I wasnt in the kitchen, it was a nice change of pace. This went perfectly with the Broccoli and Red Pepper Penne though it was missing a little complexity of flavor. I couldnt quite tell what it was missing but after looking at some other ratatouille recipes it could be thyme and rosemary, Ill have to make it again to tweak it but that would be my guess for now.



The Vinedos de la Posada Malbec I opened with the meal rounded out an already amazing experience. Im on a real Malbec kick as of late. This one especially wins points for being organic, fair trade and made with no added sulfites. It has the South American spicy bite and big dark fruit of a New World Malbec but has the light drinkability of Malbecs from Cahors without being boring and flabby. Its the Malbec I go for when I want to treat myself a little, though I dont have to considering how many out of this world Argentinian Malbecs there are for under $10.

The Conquista Malbec is about $7, drinks like a $30 or more bottle, and sells out every time the day we get a couple cases in the wine store. Ive been carrying on a sordid love affair with it for years. And with a new book full of crockpot recipes I have even more time to spend looking longingly into its plum colored depths.

Crockpot Ratatouille

1 eggplant, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
(the original recipe is missing these last two spices which are in traditional ratatouille and would add to the flavor profile greatly)

To remove bitter juices, sprinkle eggplant with salt and let sit in colander to drain for about 20 minutes. Rinse then pat dry.

Cut up all the vegetables and add them with the spices to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Original recipe from How to Make Dinner and Love at the Same Time.
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Weight Loss Help with Healthy Snacks List Clean Eating Meal Plans Weekly Recommendations

Need weight loss help?

Check out the healthy snacks list below! 

As much as I enjoy making my own clean eating and healthy snack foods, I get lazy. To keep myself on a clean eating diet, I constantly look for easy healthy snack foods that I can grab and go with. If youre lazy like me, or just extremely busy, you probably look for the same healthy snack ideas. Good thing more and more natural and organic diet foods and healthy snack bars have been introduced to the market. Below are some of my favorites. Not only are they easy and nutritious, they taste good too.



1. Navitas Naturals Organic Cacao Goji Superfood Power Snack (Get them here.)

Who doesnt like goji berries. 

These natural and healthy snack foods are gluten-free, vegan and delicious. Each bite is filled with sweetness; and each serving is filled with vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are the perfect healthy snack foods to grab-and-go with.

Get them at Navitas Natural Organic Cacao Goji Snack.



2. Pure Bar Organic Raw Fruit and Nut Bars (get them here)

Skip the candy bar; grab a Pure Bar.

These healthy snack bars are made with real fruits and nuts--and taste awesome! Made with 100% certified organic ingredients, Pure Bars are kosher, gluten-free and contain all-natural sugar from fruits and nuts.

If you need a quick pick-me-up, there healthy snack bars are one of the best choices out there. Find them at Pure Bar Organic Fruit & Nut Bars.


3. Natures All Foods Freeze-Dried Mangoes (get them here)

Kids L-O-V-E these, because theyre sweet and mess-free.

Adults love them too, because theyre 100% natural and contain no added sugar. At only 36 calories per serving, theyre the perfect way to enjoy mangoes all year round.

Find them at Freeze-Dried Mangoes.



4. Trader Joes ORGANIC Dried Mango Slices (find them here)

Speaking of dried mangoes, these awesome, awesome healthy snack foods from Trader Joes are one of my favorites. They also have no added sugar, and are great as an easy healthy snack.

Find them at Trader Joes Just Mangoes.



5. Late July organic Snacks Mild Green Mojo Multigrain Tortilla Chips (from here)

When you feel like something crunchy, these delicious tortilla chips make a wonderful choice. Made with 100% whole multi grain, theyre wholesome, filling and delicious. Though they come in various flavors--and all are delicious--"mild green mojo" is my favorite for its potent chilli-lime flavor.

I hope you like these as much as I do. Find them at Late July Organic Snacks.


6. Late July Organic Snacks How Sweet Potato it is Multigrain Tortilla Chips (find them here)

If not Green Mojito flavor, sweet potato is also a tasty choice. (I guess you can say that Im a Late July fan.)

Get these healthy snack foods at Late July How Sweet Potato Multigrain Tortilla Chips.




7. Beechers Just Jack Cheese (from this place)

If you havent tried Beechers cheese, you must. As one of Operas favorites, Beechers Handmade cheese are carefully-crafted premium cheese, made with only the best and purest ingredients. Beechers award-winning products are world-renounced and one-of-a-kind.

This Just-Jack Cheese by Beechers is truly tasty, with an unforgettably rich flavor that goes well with anything. For a quick and healthy snack idea, Id slice the cheese, and pair each slice with organic whole grain crackers. They make a mouthwatering combo!

Find this amazing product at Beechers Just Jack Cheese.



8. Bobs Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats (from here)

When the weather gets cold, I crave hot foods--and especially a steamy bowl of oatmeal. I like oatmeals simplicity and wholesomeness, as well as how it brings back childhood memories.

Bobs Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats is quick, nutritious and delicious. I enjoy it plain, but like adding drizzles of real maple syrup and banana slices once in a while. Its one of the quickest and tastiest healthy snack foods, and I highly recommend it.

Find it at Bobs Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats.





9. Pure Organic Fruit and Veggie Strip in Strawberry Apple (get them here)

These fruit and veggie strips are sweet and fun--and much better than sugary fruit snacks. Each strip contains 2/3 of fruits and vegetables combined. They make a fantastic snack idea for kids who dont like veggies.

Actually, they make a fantastic idea for everyone.

Find them at Pure Organic Fruit and Veggies Strip.




10. Natures Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bars (get them here)

Sweet and moist, these healthy snack bars are a treat! Not only do they taste good, theyre cholesterol-free, antioxidants-rich and full of other nutrients. I enjoy them as both snacks and breakfast. I also love them for traveling.

You can find them at Natures Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bars.





Thanks again for visiting Clean Eating and Weight Loss Meal Plans.

I hope you learned of new healthy snack foods today.

And please come back for more free daily meal plans!


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Flourless Pizza Crust



The fella has been missing pizza just a teeny bit.

It used to be his Tuesday night ritual to buy the cheapest most unspeakable frozen pizza to eat while doing the geeky things he does on Tuesdays with his friends while I work. Apparently its called gaming or something. Everyone has their flaws so I try to pretend this one doesnt exist by refusing to understand it.

Some people juggle geese. Some people sit around pretending to be demons and necromancers while playing with tiny painted figures. Some people decide to cook highly complicated meals 7 days a week and then freak out at random intervals about it being too difficult. If the person is worth it you grin and bear their silly hobbies and soldier on. Really Im more concerned about his ability to have eaten those cardboard pizzas for so long.

After several months of being unable to slather gluttony rounds of dough with mounds of cheese hes been getting punchy. We drive by pizza places and he starts to drool. At night he would mumble the name of his lost mistress, pizza. Any mention of the word would cause him to go wide in the eyes and tap his veins begging for a fix.

Okay so it wasnt quite that bad. There were times that he looked at me however and I couldnt tell whether he was imaging that I was a pizza he was about to eat or if he was wondering how he could back out of this diet before losing his cheese loving mind. It was time to find a way to make this man a pizza.

Enter almond flour and all the wonderful things that can be made out of it. Weve been on a bit of a kick with it lately, satisfying cravings all over the place by using it. So it was only natural that about this time I stumbled upon a nut flour pizza crust recipe. And lo the heavens opened and the fella said “woo flipping hoo” when I sent him the link letting him know pizza was imminent.

When the faithful night of pizza making arrived we were both bouncing with excitement. Then we started making the crust mixture and got a bit concerned. It was really runny and didnt look like any crust Id ever made before. It didnt seem like it was thick enough to not run all over the pan. And how was this wet mess going to solidify enough to put toppings on it in just 5 minutes of baking? We were seconds away from thawing something from the freezer as we watched the crust do a whole lot of nothing in the oven.



Miraculously I pulled it from the oven and it was a nice firm crust like texture. We let it cool to firm up a bit more and started throwing toppings on it. It withstood being covered in sauce and veggies so things were looking good. I pre-sauted the vegetables assuming the vegetables wouldnt have enough time to cook on such a delicate crust and was right. Unless you like raw veggies on your pizza, cook them to your preferred level of doneness before this goes back in for round two. Topped with some sundried tomatoes and Havarti and we were drooling as hard as the dog does while we cook.

This was fabulous! It looked and smelled and had the texture of pizza. It doesnt taste like the real thing exactly but its a great fake out. The only problem is you really need to oil whatever surface youre baking this on or it will never let go of the pan. We spent a lot of time dislodging our pizza before being able to eat it.

Im sure this will become a regular fixture on our menus. That sound you hear is the fella sighing with relief. His favorite food is a possibility again.

Flourless Pizza Crust

3 eggs
3 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
1/ 2 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 salt
6 ounces ground almonds
1 teaspoon vinegar

Preheat the oven to 360. Line a round pizza pan with baking parchment, make on a silcone tray or oil your pan VERY well. This crust will stick like crazy.

Whisk the first five ingredients together in a bowl until frothy and starting to thicken slightly.

Beat in the ground nuts and vinegar and spread onto the baking parchment in an even, thin layer. It will be like thick batter, not a sticky dough. It doesnt look anything like pizza crust at this point but dont worry.

Bake for 5 minutes until just firm but not colored. Leave crust to cool a little before spreading your chosen toppings on and re-baking until the edge of the pizza base is golden brown and the cheese melted. Youll want to pre-cook any vegetables you plan on putting on this pizza in order to soften them, they wont have much time to cook before the crust is ready to be removed from the oven.

Original recipe from Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried blog.
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Baby Shower with my Residents

For those of you who know me well, know that Im not into being the center of attention. You could probably tell that by how I did my wedding... super small and low key! So having a baby has been an adjustment for me since I know that I need to have baby showers to help with all the "things" that a baby needs. I will be having several baby showers coming up in the next few weeks that I will share with you, but the first one I had was very heartwarming for me and one I will remember always.

My supervisor planned one which included all my residents at Aspen Trace. I had 45 residents show up for the shower which was a great turn out and made me feel super loved. The room was packed full with my ladies smiling faces. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

Now, there will be very few pictures since I am not allowed to post pictures publicly of my residents but I will try to include what I can for you. No presents were given since it is company policy that residents are not allowed to give employees gifts. But... what there was a lot of was punch, cake, games, laughter, love, and support from these ladies I have come to love much like family.


Party favors with the "HE" or "SHE" colored in!


Baby Rhoton cake!


Punch!


Room decorations!


Games! We played a games where the residents had to make a list of A-Z girl and boy baby names, finish off the nursery rhyme listed, and baby items price is right.


Me and my supervisor who threw me the shower :) I look horrible in this picture... uhhhgggg!

The one gift I did receive "from my residents" was a book called The Real Mother Goose. Inside they had all signed their names and written me little notes. I will cherish it forever! It truly was a very special time with some very special people!

Very thankful for all who shared it with me!
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Sour Blueberry Ice Cream



From looking at the final product you would think this was just any other bowl of delicious and totally innocent ice cream. Dont believe what you see. It is delicious and refreshing. However it wasnt so benign when it had splattered everywhere in the kitchen. Top and bottom cupboards, puddles on the counter, dripping down the front of my pants, staining the kitchen rug, the dog trying to lick at the heap of blueberry syrup on the floor. There was a lot of very creative swearing.

See I pictured this whole thing happening in my head as I was dumping the blueberry mixture into the blender and cringing, waiting for the worst possible thing to happen. Then it did. While I was tightening the blender pieces and making sure everything was put together properly to avoid disaster, it never occurred to me that the rubber disk that creates a seal in the bottom of the bowl could slip to the side and create a gap for evil purple liquid to escape from.

As soon as I poured the blueberries in the blender the chaos started. In the crevice where the glass bit of the blender meets the plastic base the liquid started spurting out. Not just drizzling or trickling. It was shooting out on the underside of the cupboard and on my arms. About a third of my precious blueberry mixture ended up on the counter. I tried to tighten the pieces hoping for the best. Crossing my fingers the whole time I blended and made a beautiful purple liquid with no other major issues.

I wrapped the blender in dish towels and added the heavy and sour cream prayed for no more spurting. And all was well until I went to pour the mixture into a bowl at which point the precarious rule of physics that was keeping the liquid from seeping everywhere left me. Half of the ice cream mixture ended up in the bowl, the other half on the floor. That any of it made it in the bowl was more than I had expected. Things were already a mess so I continued with this highly mistaken course of action, emptying the blender, putting what made it into the bowl into the refrigerator, out of my sight to cool off and began the laborious task of de-purpling the kitchen.

It didnt put up nearly as big a fight going into the ice cream maker but the whole time it was churning I was thinking “boy this better be good.” This was going to have to be awfully good ice cream to make up for the disaster.

In the end all I can say for it however is that its interesting. Blueberries work really well with the tartness of the sour cream and it creates a nice rich velvety texture. Amidst all the drama I did manage to put in too much lemon juice (which I had to substitute since I had no lime) and most of my precious berries were in a puddle on the counter so it wasnt as delicious and sweet as it probably should have been. Its quite sour which isnt a bad thing it just isnt very dessert like.

Id only recommend making this if you have much better luck than I do with blenderfuls of malevolent purple liquid. Ive learned my lesson and will be keeping my blueberry obsession to very simple recipes from now on. Which mostly means if you need me Ill be standing in front of the refrigerator gorging myself on berries straight from the container. Its safer that way.


Sour Blueberry Ice Cream

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen, thaw and drain)
1/3 cup agave nectar
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of one lime
Juice of 1/2 a lime, or more juice to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream

In a medium saucepan cook blueberries, sugar, salt, lime zest and juice over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 4 minutes.

Pour the berry mixture into a blender and whirl until pureed, the mixture will not be completely smooth. Add the heavy cream and sour cream and pulse to blend. Taste and add a bit more lime juice or agave nectar if you choose.

Pour the blend into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning into ice cream.

Original recipe from Noble Pig Blog.
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Week 7


#52weeksofRoarke
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Chickpea Crepes With Smoked Salmon

Apparently Im on a bit of a crepe kick. Probably because they are the only vaguely bread like food I can have on this elimination diet. 

This time I went savory with chickpea flour crepes, pesto, and smoked salmon.  The fella and I were both really surprised by how delicious I was able to make these while still keeping them hypoallergenic.  The crepes themselves were ridiculously easy and a nice compliment to the salmon.  The pesto which I used pumpkin seeds in instead of pine nuts rounded out the flavors nicely.  Best of all this recipe is totally weight loss phase friendly for the French Diet.  Since it involves bean flour you can put whatever youre in the mood for in these.  So go crazy!

Since Im only cooking really simple foods that dont usually require any sort of recipe Im going to try to stop neglecting this blog so badly and just post pictures of my food to prove that I really am eating well while on such a restrictive diet.  Well see how long I can keep up that promise.


Chickpea Crepes 

1 cups chickpea flour (easily found in Indian groceries)
1 1/4 cups water
dash of salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients.  Heat a large non stick pan over medium heat.  When hot, spray with cooking spray and drop 1/4 cup of the crepe mix into the pan, quickly sliding around  the pan to spread out the crepe as thin as possible.  Cook for 30 seconds.  Flip and cook for 90 seconds on the other side.  Repeat with the rest of the crepe batter.

I topped my chickpea crepes with a handful of spinach, a slice of avocado, some sprouts, a drizzle of pesto, and a couple pieces of smoked salmon.  This would also be amazing with cream cheese or creme fraiche, smoked salmon, watercress, and cucumber.  (Someone eat that version and tell me all about it since I will never be able to.)
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Remingtons Rundown My Day with Dad

Hey Doodle Lovers! Its Remington Bear here!

Both Mom and Dads schedule have been all over the place lately. This has been hard on me, because it often times means I have to be crated while they are working. Mom and Dad hate doing this too me so one week when I had been crated for three days while Mom and Dad both worked, Dad surprised me and came home and brought me to work with him!


Dad had been working with some of the new recruits coming in to their police department. Everyone was outside that day so I got pretty much free reign of the area they were in! 


All you gotta do is give me my Frisbee and Im a happy camper!


A bunch of the officers were playing football and tried to teach me how...


But I was much more into my beloved Frisbee to really care!


So instead I taught the officers how to play my kind of game instead!


Throw it for heavens sake!


Dont worry! I got it!


Boy was it a fun day with Dad and all his friends! But I was so tired afterward :)

Time to sign off... WIGGLES!!

~Remington Bear~
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