5/24/08: Yesterday was about resting and eating. The let down from all the activity leading up to company coming and then the exhaustion of entertaining for a few days. But in eating all my healthy leftovers I discovered a very satisfying comfort food. Spanish rice made with brown rice, mixed with FF jalapeno refried beans, and topped with Tofuti sour cream mixed with hot sauce. Creamy, spicy, filling and oh so good! So while yes, I overate, I never felt totally stuffed or miserable and it was all nutritious food.** It's definitely time to focus more on the meditation and finding a quiet 'sweet spot' to calm the nerves without food.** Last weekend it was over 100, this morning it is sprinkling; normal has disappeared. It is smokey outside too, so the winds must be coming from the south where the fires by Santa Cruz are blazing away; I hope they are getting some of this rain. Speaking of the weather, I think some soup is in order today, and I also think that since i'ts chilly I'll use the oven to make some cornbread. Note: adding corn to cornbread adds moisture and sweetness, eliminating the need for butter. Oh, wait, it's a movie day and I'll be eating popcorn later, so no cornbread for me today! Balance, balance, balance.....and I'd better do a workout tape too since a bike ride it out. Time for tennis shoes, have a good day! ps the 1000 island dressing is good, but not like 1000 island - it's very dilly and when mixed in a salad it's very light and fresh and good despite the dark colour.
Here is Kaylee with her cousin Falco, she is smaller than his head!
5/23/08: It was really nice having family in the house for a few days who appreciated my efforts at healthy meals. They claimed to love the dinner's of Shepard's Pie & Enchilada Casserole, and the light breakfast of Ezekial Raisin Bread, Cashew Butter and fruit salad one morning and the Hominy\kale stir fry the other. This morning they are gone and I made myself Oat Bran pancakes with blueberries and flax and real maple syrup; they were so wonderful I wish I had made them for my cousins, oh well, another time.** I'm wishing healthy choices and moderate splurges for my friends over the coming long weekend. Lets stay busy and burn more calories than we eat!
5/18/08: Thank heavens it will be cooler today. My early bike ride was nice, and I stopped along the way to watch a Night Heron catching his breakfast (frog?) down by the waterway. This morning is about finishing up the housework, and this afternoon I am picking up the ingredients to make a1000 Island salad dressing I've been meaning to try. Once it is perfected I see a healthy alternative to a Big Mac in my future; a garden burger, shredded romaine, pickles and a whold grain bun. Yum.** The animals were being cute this morning, and while I missed the shot where Kaylee was up on the window sill with Velcro, I did catch them touching noses. HAGD ♥
5/16/08: I'm trying to keep busy getting the house ready for company and I'm trying to eat super healthy for a few days in a row. I tried this new slaw recipe today and I'm very happy with it. The veggies were not just crunchy, but when chewed became very juicy and combined with the sweetness of the raisins made a dressing in my mouth with each bite! I had anticipated having to add a dressing so this was a nice surprise. I did add 1/2oz of pepitas (nuts) and a teeny drizzle of honey.
1/2C each Shredded raw cabbage, beets & carrots
1C Shredded apple
1/4C Raisins
Toss together and serve
Breakfast was an orange, blueberry, strawberry smoothie with some chopped kale and my T of flax meal. Lunch was a blended salad of baby spinach, orange and lemon juice. I learned that if I add the fruit first then I can add more greens (in this case spinach) as it's blending to get up to a full 8oz serving. I did add 1/2C V-Fusion orange juice (it has carrot juice in it) to get to the right consistency. Tonight's dinner is a spinach salad with blackberries and nuts, a stoup of kale, bok choy, broccoli rab etc, and dessert is a red pepper stuffed with apple, cinnamon and nutmeg. I am looking forward to that, I have it on good authority that it will be yummy ;)
It's so hot I'm having to break up my yard work with breaks inside where the air conditioner is keeping it a cool 78, but everything is getting done and my dirt bed is ready to accept my cantelope seeds plus some sweet peas to climb the fence. So far it's been a productive day, thank goodness!
5/15/08: We took over 80#'s of aluminum cans to recycle yesterday, no wonder I was pissed about how much room they were taking up. The $165 is going into the mad money box. I very rarely drink soda but my SO is addicted to caffeinne free diet pepsi and his favorite place to leave his empty cans is on the kitchen counter; can you tell it's a pet peeve? It justifies my half of the $$! I made good progress in the back yesterday, I even turned the pile of bricks into a planter for the cantelope. I just need to pick up some dirt today and can get the seeds in this evening when the planter is in the shade: it's going to be triple digits here today and tomorrow. I've already had my bike ride, cleaned off the yearly accumulation of dust from one of the fans and set it running in the house, and I think I will get a harcut on the way to work this morning. It's HOT and I want my hair off my neck! ** Lunch yesterday was a blueberry, flax, kale smoothie, and dinner was a strawberry, soy milk smoothie with a splash each of molasses and vanilla. Dessert was brussels sprouts; a wierd day but I think I made up the calories I blew at breakfast. This morning breakfast was a ripe mango, not interesting in and of itself, but oh, the aftermath. Kaylee was fascinated by the flossing pick I was using to drag the errant strings of mango from between my teeth. She was determined to get in my mouth and see what all the commotion was about; jumping on my chest and poking her long nose against my face - she is too funny and continues to be a joy.** Time to fill up water bottles and get busy, HAGD ♥
5/14/08: This morning I shaved 4 minutes off my time while increasing the ride a tenth of a mile. Yay me! Does anyone have a Malibu Pilates chair? I got sucked into an infomercial this morning as was intrigued and would love some feed back.** Breakfast this morning was a fast food ham sandwich so I have lots of calories to burn off today; I'm still not sure how it happened, but there it is. I seem to be doing more confessing than bragging lately, My Bad! I have GOT to get to the store today! Ugh.** Cleaning off the back patio, recycling cans, and doing the back windows are on today's chore list, that should burn some calories ;)
5/13/08: I didn't get out for my bike ride untill 2 this afternoon, it's good I pass several water fountains on my ride for refills - it's hot! My friend tells me it will be 105 by Friday, Yikes! 85 today, 92 tomorrow and 101 Thursday. And we didn't have April showers for May flowers this year so they are already talking water conservation. I will try to keep my rides early am, I know when it's hot I flake on evening rides despite good intentions.** We are going to the movies tonight and I already had popcorn on Sunday...wait, this is a new week, right? I will try to stick with water and a pack of gum, it will probably depend on how cold the theatre is and how early we get there. That's an idea, we could plan to show up late on purpose. ** My salads the past couple of days have been so delicious, adding poblano peppers to the ceasar dressing recipe is so good, spicy and fresh, and yesterday I added a small handful of raisins and pepitas to my staple blend of radish, sunchoke & green onion. Crunch, sweet & spicy..mmm. And just so you know it's not always about health over here, my SO and I split a loaf of Beckman's French White bread over the past several days. Thank heavens the bread and peanut butter are both gone; maybe I can control myself for a few days now. I have noticed that I feel heavy and grumpy on mornings I eat other than fruit for breakfast. Eating just fruit I tend to get more done, feel better, and be in a better mood. So why don't I remember that when it's time to break my fast every day??? Because I haven't been to the store to stock up on fruit; laziness is to blame (remember, it's not the child who is bad, but the behavior.) I guess I could have used frozen berries to make a smoothie, but I like my quiet in the mornings and the blender is soooo loud....I am so full of excuses it's amazing I have any room at all left for food! But I am determined to either decline dinner out or have a salad where ever we end up. Determined. Really. I swear....later: the salad turned into a bowl of brussells sprouts, nuked with a little vegetable broth and low sodium soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and a tiny drizzle of honey; filling and yummy.
5/12/08: I feel pretty good about my 30 days of biking; riding 2 out of every 3 days and averaging over 3 miles per ride this was much better than vegging on the couch. I've strained my right achilles tendon but nothing serious, I just need to be careful and wait a while before planning any longer rides - my Mother insists I keep injuring myself because I won't accept I am getting old and that I need to stop doing so much. I guess she hasn't heard that 50 is the new 30! ** I had a PB&J sandwich this morning, and shared a small peach cobbler with praline ice cream on it for dessert last night. That being said I am dressed and ready for a bike ride, have already taken Kaylee for her walk and done the morning house chores, and I have yard work planned for this afternoon after a big salad for lunch. I have a stir fry planned for dinner to use up the last lonely zuchinni in the fridge and I think spicy curry flavors will be the ticket tonight. What do you have planned?? ** update: I've posted a new goal, 50 miles in 21 days, nothing major, I'm not trying to improve or break any records, it's just a way to keep me consistent and out on the bike over the next three weeks. Also, trying to focus on exercise instead of food...lol, like THAT's going to happen! Have a good day, move more & eat more veggies & fruit ♥
5/10/08: My exercise yesterday was pruning one of the privet trees in the back yard and cleaning out the garage gutter, so fun. Today I took a long bike ride after an early lunch - a California Garden Burger on a brown rice cake topped with a little catsup and mustard. (I used to love corn dogs at the fair just for the catsup and mustard.) I'll have a blended salad later when I come in from working in the yard. My SO is off at an archery tournament so it's just me again, I swear he just boards here. Okay, I'm off to do chores. I hope all you Mothers have a good day tomorrow, I think we're going for a bike ride or maybe to try out the new Greek restaurant that opened nearby. In any case, Happy Mother's Day on Sunday ♥
5/9/08: Yesterday I put on my tankini and lay in the sun for a bit; it felt good but my reflection in the glass sliding doors as I made my way back towards the house was a little scary! I intended to make it a juice day but ended up eating leftovers for dinner; a container of squash I had sauteed with sweet onions, the last of the black beans (more like veggetarian chili) and the last two blueberry pancakes for dessert. This morning for breakfast I had half of my $10 crenshaw melon, and while sweet and yummy my guilt took the edge off of my enjoyment; my goal this summer is to be a locavore (eating local foods) and stay away from the foods that have such a huge environmental footprint. I have a hothouse cucumber to finish up in my lunch salad today, and I think Garbanzo bean taco salad for dinner tonight with diced fresh pablano pepper dressing to spice it up. I have found that the vegan ceasar dressing recipe is a great base for adding different flavours and changing things up. Then for dessert later, a fresh mango, another fruit with a large footprint. And do we even grow bananas locally? ** Plans today include taking Kaylee back to the dog park, a bike ride, and making a Honey Do List (I'm the honey) that needs to be completed by the end of the day on 5/19 before company arrives. Spring cleaning stuff; windows, cobwebs from the vaulted ceiling, etc, etc. AND GETTING THE CANTELOUPE PLANTED! Why can't I seem to get this done; I suspect it's the perfectionist in me, if I can't see it perfect in my mind first I can't start - a horrible disease. And it's time for the annual dance of replacing stacks of jeans and sweaters with tank tops and shorts, that should keep me busy for awhile this afternoon. I will try to stay busy busy busy today. Happy Friday ♥
5/6/08: Breakfast this morning reminded me of something to share. One of my favorite breakfasts used to be a toasted bagel with PB, banana, honey and wheat germ sprinkled on top to stick to the honey. Well, that's a ton of calories but in keeping with the idea that we can make favorites healthier, this is how I can break my fast when I have a morning that I want somthing more substantial [after a dinner that included beer, for example ;)] First I use a healthier PB that lists as the ingredients: peanuts. I substitute an unsalted brown rice cake (again, simple ingredients: brown rice) for the bagel and instead of sprinkling wheat germ on the top I sprinkled ground flax seed on the PB. This adds a healthy fat while eliminating the wheat which I have an aversion to, and I use only a tiny drizzle of honey since nothing has to stick to it; it would be sweet enough with just the banana but the honey is the memory\comfort factor. (My grandfather used to have a bowl of wheaties with bananas, honey, and wheat germ on top for his breakfast.) The rice cake is crumbly, so a diced banana works better than slices and this cuts down on quantity and calories too. All in all a wonderful crunchy, rich, sweet breakfast that punches my ticket to a good morning. Having said that I had to go figure out some stats and came up with approximately 430 calories, 20g of fat, and 8g of fiber. So about a third of my daily caloric intake, that's good, and only 4.7% of calories from fat, that's excellent, and 8g of fiber, which is totally acceptable given how many raw veggies I will eat later today in my big salad lunch. So now I feel really good about my breakfast! ** It's cool out today, which is great because I was hot riding yesterday and was dreading shaving my legs so I could wear shorts for my ride today. I know, TMI! But shaving is something that stresses the motion problem in my back and I am trying really hard to let that heal so I am ready to shoot in June. In looking at my riding stats this morning I realized that to reach my goal I will have to ride an average of just over 3.5 miles each day for the next week; I think I can do this!
5/5/08: Cinco de Mayo! I am so looking forward to tostadas on the patio with lots of spicy guacamole and a cold beer.** I rode 5.3 miles today, and while 49:37 is still my longest time, today's ride only took 45:14 - I went a longer distance in a faster time, yay! I am working my way up to an hour, and today I had gone a full mile before I had to stand up on the peddles to relieve the pressure on my bum; it feels good to be making progress. At the pond I saw a duckling that looked too young to be alone, still all fuzzy, but he was alone in the pond, feasting on the lake grasses that grow up from the bottom to swirl just under the surface of the water. The geese were gone and I only saw one egret - I wonder where the heck everyone was? ** Kaylee and I share carrots! She is my 5th dog and I have never shared human food with my dogs before other than adding scraps to thier bowls on holidays or throwing them the occaisional rib bone. But one afternoon I was snacking on carrots and she sat quietly next to me tilting her head this way and that. Not really begging, just wondering what the heck I was doing. So I snapped off a tip and gave it to her. She took it and laid down next to me on the couch and crunched up the whole thing, getting every crumb. A couple of days later we did the same thing, and after a small argument with myself decided it would be okay to share my carrots with her. Well, yesterday I grabbed some carrots from the fridge while Kaylee was in my bedroom pestering the cats where they sleep on their cat tree by the window. I sat down on the couch, curled up with my book, and took the first bite."CRUNCH" Ba dum ba dum ba dum here came Kaylee charging down the hallway from the bedroom to the livingroom and made a flying leap towards the couch, first missing but the second try landed her in my lap and she was taking the carrot out of my mouth before I knew what was happening. Smart sassy little dog. I took the carrot away and snapped her off the tip, and when she asked politely I let her finish the bottoms too. How fun to have a friend to eat carrots with.in the afternoon ♥
5/4/08: I went grocery shopping early today - I'm still reeling from spending $10 on a honeydew melon! I wanted to say nevermind, I don't want it...but I did want it. It might be the last one for awhile though. I stocked up on fresh cilantro, jalapeno, avocado and corn tortillas, having decided on tostadas for tomorrow. About a minute and a half in my microwave turns a corn tortilla into a crunchy base for a small tostada without adding any fat - the ones you can buy prefried at the store are about 90% of the calories from fat-not good. So I will make fresh guacamole with garlic, shallots, jalapenos and tomatoes and use my black beans and cabbage to make wonderful tostadas; I can hardly wait, I know they will be fresh and yummy. And I am guessing there will be beer ;) ** This morning I rode 3.9 miles, just an average ride, and the wind was the perfect temp to offset the warmth of my exertions. There have been two canadian geese hanging out at the closer of the ponds I often ride by, they are huge compared to the ducks and so majestic. I can't help but hope they stayed behind to nest, the rest of the gaggle having disappeared - there were often a couple of dozen geese by the farther pond but I haven't seen them since I began riding in April. I will take my camera as often as I remember in case I run across some goslings, wouldn't that be fun ** I think a quiet day is in order and plan to spend my time between catching up on the housework and taking a book out to read in the sun. Happy Sunday ♥ Oh yea, and the confession. I purchased one french roll and one slice of sharp cheddar from the deli and that was my brunch today. I did put on my riding pants and tennis shoes before eating, and went for my ride half an hour aftterwards to try and burn off the glucan. I will try for another ride later today just for good measure, or maybe a walk with Kaylee. I am striving for Balance!
5/2/08: Yesterday I cooked a bag of black beans for an hour, then threw them in the crock pot with all the odds and ends of veggies left in the fridge; half a parsnip, a crown of broccoli, a couple of sunchokes, a yellow pepper, a yellow onion. I tossed it all together with a large can of diced tomatoes and a small can of green chili sauce and let it cook for 8 hours. A cup for lunch today was very good, and I can see how the mixture will work well to make a mexican casserole, the base for bean soup, or spiced up cajun style to serve with brown rice. I can see a tostada in my near future, or maybe a burrito stuffed with the beans, lots of crisp cabbage, some juicy fresh tomato and hot sauce. A crockpot of beans is cheap, versitile, and goes a long way. This is my 2nd day at 100%, but I am already hearing Cinco de Mayo beers calling my name. We'll see. At least I already have the beans ready for a healthy festive meal on the 5th! ps I am slow recovering from having my eyes diallated this morning and don't think I'll make it out on the bike today, again...we'll see.
5/1/08: It's May Day and I am grateful for the roses, jasmine and snap dragons that bring the colour and smells of spring to my yard. Today my bike ride took me down an easment that I used to ride with my son on his way to school 20 years ago. It's a mile round trip and while a fun change of view, it was a very bumpy ride over asphalt that hasn't been maintained. Total ride today was 5.1 miles and it feels good to get in two days in a row for a change. ** Today I am starting ten days of Fuhrman to get back on track foodwise, it will be interesting to see if there is a difference from the last time I did this sans exercise; riding does increase my appetite, but it will be all about the veggies. Another beautiful day here...THIS is what my property taxes are all about ;)
4/30/08: I never made it out for a ride yesterday, but went 4.8 miles this afternoon, the weather is perfect for riding, just a touch of breeze and the sun isn't too hot. I had to force myself at every turn, working my way away from the house instead of turning home. Unfortunately all the effort will simply go towards offsetting the damage done by a tub of tapioca pudding. Nothing new here; my SO left this morning for what used to be my favorite archery shoot and as always food filled the gap between where I am and where I want to be. I've pulled out some green soup from the freezer and plan on a healthy dinner tonight; it seems that in writing that my binges don't last I was sabotoging myself. Typical, words become things and the universe doesn't see the difference between will and won't. Luckily I'm not weighing myself this week and will never know the damage done.
4/29/08: OK. After this update I am going to refrain from talking about the trial here - I should have expected that everything would be pushed out and now 5/19 is the new date AND I need to step away from my pity party. ** For dinner last night the vegan shepards pie was wonderful, my SIL gobbled up 2 huge bowls and said it tasted like it had meat in it...he is in the doghouse right now so it was mostly all about getting in my good graces but it was still nice to get what he considered to be a compliment. The downside is that there are not many leftovers :( But I did make notes and can duplicate the recipe, so next week there will be another pie. While at the store yesterday I stocked up on comfort food; garden burgers and sourdough bread, avocado, Amy's SoyCheeze Pizza, and Adams Peanut Butter (ingredients: peanuts.) This morning I had sourdough toast with a little PB, a small sliced banana and a teeny drizzle of honey. I was too lazy to grind flax seeds for the top, my bad, but I will grind a bunch today so it is ready to use another time. My goal was to let myself eat comfort food (i know, but it does work and it's not junkfood) during the next couple of stressful weeks, but I will try ever so hard to eat conciously and pay attention to hunger - that is the devil's bargain I made with myself while shopping. I also made blue cheese dressing last night. I used vegan mayo, subbed the sour cream with rice milk, and used a creamy blue cheese that was on sale. The dressing is thinner, so it spreads in the lettuce easier and I can use a smaller portion and still be satisfied with the wonderful tang of the blue cheese. I did look at store dressings but the ingredients were awful. ** The wretched wind is back so I will wait until it warms up for my ride today - I am more determined than ever to reach my 80 mile goal by 5/11, and should just go ahead and tack on another 20 miles and extend it a week - the riding really is helping reduce my stress level and as my bum gets used to being out riding it's getting easier to think about staying on the bike longer each day. A toast to progress today, maybe it is true that 'what you record gets done.' HAGD ♥ ps we had some vegan 'monster' cookies from the PW bakery for dessert last night that were WONDERFUL!
4/28/08: My 2#'s are gone this morning, a perfect example of why I shouldn't weigh myself, or maybe I ate more careful because I saw the gain? Who knows, they are gone and that is all that matters. ** As anyone knows who is challenging themselves to a new distance, one of the tricks is to go half way of the new goal away from where you have to come back to, whether you are walking, swimming, running, or in my case, riding; it takes away the choice of quitting unless you really don't care about getting back home. I did that this morning, riding out until I was over 2.5 miles so that I knew I would be able to achieve the 5 miles I told myself I needed to ride today. Yay me! If I had ridden up and down the court once it would have been 5.1 miles but my behind was really anxious to get off the bike. ** Today my son's homicide case is suppose to be sent out for trial, and if everything stays on course the trial could start as early as 5/12 if the jury selection isn't set back by the holiday. So I am going to try and stay busy and focus on other things. For instance, FOOD! This morning I watched Emeril make a chicken pot pie and so now I have a craving for gravy and dinner will be shepards pie - there is always a healthier alternative for a craving. (I've been watching the national body challenge series on discovery health and it reminds me not to totally eliminate the favorites, just replace fat with flavour.) I think I will look into a vegan 'chicken' gravy recipe to change things up a little bit - research is always a good distraction for me. ** If you ever had an inkling to send a little love and light my way, today would be a good day...
4/25/08: I finally weighed in this morning and I am up a couple of pounds. The fast food tacos and malted milk shake last night for dinner didn't help, but again, I felt so wretched afterwards I am back on track this morning. That is one big difference now that I eat for nutrition instead of counting calories; when I do binge it makes me feel so awful I immediately want to eat healthy and the lapse never stretches into another meal or another day or another week etc etc.** I was out before 8 this morning on my bike ride, unfortunately I ran into an old friend and during the course of our conversation became upset and headed home early (1.9 miles.) It is suppose to be warm today, but I will try to get back out for a second ride when it cools off this evening. On a positive note, the riding is reshaping my backside (I noticed this as I caught my reflection in the window at the back of the house while getting in the hot tub earlier when the air was still crisp) so I will pretend that the extra pounds are just fat switched for muscle in that region ;) ** I wish you could have been in the back yard with me this morning, the heavy scent of the jasmine wafting across the lawn to meet me as I laid peanuts out for the blue jays and refilled the squirrel feeder with sunflower seeds. The jays have been taking baths this year, something I haven't seen them do before in the 25 years I've been living here, and they are so wonderful to watch; first splashing away happily in their bath and then preening on the fence in the sun to dry before launching themselves out and over the neighbors yard to disappear. I have seen them 'on watch' in the tree out front so I am hoping there is a nest and we will see babies this year (I am tempted to order a banding kit just in case.) ** Time to go play with the puppy...HAGWE everyone ♥
4/23/08: I rode 3.7 miles today, and I feel pretty good about it considering how close I came to not going at all; damn this wind! ** I spent the morning cleaning out the fridge and making soup (brussels sprouts, leek, onion, pablano, sunchokes, a large bok choy and a cup of split red lentils.) I am trying the Magic brand of salt free all purpose seasoning and I like it, even though the 2nd ingredient is brown sugar I suppose that a little sugar is better than a lot of sodium. I also added a 15oz can of chicken stock just to get it out of the pantry, and I really didn't notice any benefit of flavour compared to my usual vegetarian soups. As for the soup, it's okay, but needs some tweaking; maybe some grated ginger....I have several containers to play around with getting the taste right as I eat it over the next several days - it's just sort of bland. ** I have committed to going to Van Nuys in June to shoot a qualifier for the senior archery games in '09; we'll be shooting at Stanford University and it's just too close to not participate. The strange part is shooting as a senior...Yikes! Hopefully this will give me the motivation to start training. In any case I need to do some practicing to make sure I qualify the 1st weekend in June, so more exercise...that's a good thing, right???
4/22/08: I remembered late yesterday that my DD was coming to dinner and that smells still bother her, so I nixed the brussels sprouts menu. After browsing through the store for inspiration I came home with a corn bread mix (Marie Calendars, no HFCS or hydrogenated fat) to make to go with the beans. I added a can of corn to the mix - this makes it juicy so you don't miss the butter, plus adding some fiber so it's a win win. And I sent home half the leftovers with her, any kind of bread continues to be a red light food for me! But it was delicious with the beans. My bike ride was later than usual, and it was windy, so even though I only went a couple of miles I fought the whole way which kept my breathing hard, trading endurance for aerobics; it's good to change it up. (I can rationalize anything...I guess most of us can or we wouldn't be here!) ** I did get the garden section of the yard cleaned up and the overhanging branches of the privet tree pruned back to let more sun in over the garden patch; maybe I really will get the cantelope planted this week. The good news this morning is not only that I am already up, clean and dressed, but that I have on jeans I haven't worn in a year and I found $60 in the pocket! HAGD ♥
4/21/08: The flower bed is finished, finally. Considering how small a space it is it took me forever. There were so many beautiful flowers at the nursery and I wanted them all...but they were pricey! It was still a fun place to walk around and it was a pretty day to do it despite the chilly breeze. ** BTW...My beans turned out wonderful. Beans beans the beautiful fruit....They are rich and savory and I ended up eating 3 small bowls yesterday over the course of the day - there is nothing off plan in them, just beans, veggies, tomatoes and spices; my tostada was wonderful (I'll have another for lunch today) and I even had a small bowl for dessert (they are a little sweet.) ** Today's project is building a small brick planter out back where I need to plant some cantelope. I also need to prune back the privot treet so the spot gets more sun. It was so disappointing that the cedar wax wings and robins never showed up to feast on the berries from that tree...I hate it when the migration of the birds and the ripeness of the berries are off-synch; what a mess the berries are when left to drop off the branches instead of getting gobbled down. Oh Well. So plenty of outside work today if I can just get out there and get started. It looks to be another sunny breezy day, perfect for working outside, so no weather excuses here.** Dinner tonight will be Brussels Sprouts that need to be finished up - I'll make a stoup; I have been ever so concious about not letting veggies go to waste in the fridge, having the crisper drawers up in the center of the fridge have really helped with that. I'm off to make a breafast smoothie..Here's to a healthy week for everyone ♥
4/20/08: Sore shins this morning are testimony to the walking we did yesterday around the outside mall in Stockton. We saw Nim's Island which was wonderful if you enjoy children's movies, which I do. And then we had an hour to kill and...Cold Stone. Did I pick the skinny cream? Oh no, we had Chocolate Delights or something, even the small serving is about a cup; hopefully the walking helped offset the treat. At dinner beforehand I had minestrone soup and salad at Olive Garden, great choices except I ate them with 3 bread sticks. They were so salty, but hopefully a little better than the five cheese rigatoni my family was eating. Trying to balance out calories in and out for the day in my head I was probably still within my maintenance zone; thank heavens for our morning bike ride. I'm looking forward to my beans today at lunch, I am thinking of using them in a taco salad. A corn tortilla cut into wedges and microwaved for about a minute gets it nice and crunchy, and I won't have to add much dressing - the beans should have lots of flavour, and there is a ripe tomato to add. Yum. Breakfast was a ripe mango - perfectly sweet - and I think I will steam some artichokes and brussels sprouts for dinner, flavoured with leeks and sunchokes that will be filling and light to help make up for the excesses of yesterday. I can always have another cup of beans if it's not enough. Today I plan to go walk at the nursery across town and find a couple of flowering creepers to fill in the front flower bed; and when it's a little warmer hit the road on my bike again. Each day it gets a little easier to keep moving and I am encouraged. Sandy is right, start with the small things and build on them.
4/19/08: Last night I had one brownie and packaged up the rest. All but 3 are in the freezer, and those three are in the fridge waiting to be part of Sundaes later this week. This morning I chopped up tons of veggies (peppers, jalapeno, parsnip, onions, zucchini) while the beans were soaking for their hour after having brought them to a boil. I sweated all the diced veggies with a can of diced mild green chilis, chili poweder, cumin, garlic powder, 1tsp of kosher salt, a 15oz can of organic tomato sauce and then threw in a jar of organic vegan Chili Ranchero sauce I had on hand just for good measure. When the beans were done soaking and the veggies were soft I stirred everything together in the large crock pot and they are in there simmering away for the day. I'm thinking I'll made the McDougall quick bread cornbread recipe to go with the beans for dinner. I used the same ingredients I would have used for my old Chile Verde recipe, just using the beans instead of the pork and adding extra veggies. I am hoping for the best, at least it smells wonderful. ** Yesterday Kaylee was such a good dog, staying by me in the front yard where there is no fence while I dug around all the rose bushes and got them fed. We worked in the back yard too, feeding the birds and squirrels, and doing some watering - a sure way to bring on the rain. All in all I kept busy. Today we have already been out for a short bike ride battling the icy wind all the way, I think I will bring in wood for a file later! ** I found out we are taking the DSD (Darling Step Daughter) to work tonight and going to a show while we wait for her to finish and bring her home (work is 45 minutes away.) So no corn bread and no fire tonight, and popcorn will be my whole grain today! See...I can make a healthy choice sometimes!
4/18/08: We are having another beautiful day before the cold comes creeping back and I took advantage of it to take a longer bike ride. Retracing the paths I used to walk years ago, I rode along the waterway that cuts through the northern end of our city and was surprised at how few ducks and egrets I saw. And the flock of Canadian Geese was absent too. I did notice that riding a different way than usual made the time go by faster so I will do that more often. ** Yesterday I cooked 2 diced zucchini, an onion, and some red pepper flakes together. Then I stirred in a can of Hunts no sugar added spaghetti sauce and some cooked quinoa elbow noodles for a simple but spicy hot lunch. For dinners I have a bag of 15-bean soup to make over the weekend, the perfect opportunity for using up all the bits and pieces of veggies in the fridge, and for desserts I have a can of pumpkin to make brownies; my hope is to freeze the leftovers into portions after the initial bake.(For those who don't know a 15oz can of pumpkin mixed with an organic cake or brownie mix makes a wonderful treat sans fat and plus fiber.) I think with my SO home this week that is doable. My chore today is feeding the roses; I noticed on my bike ride that mine are not as beautiful as they could be and realized I haven't fed them at all this year; MY BAD! Plus the house next door is going up for sale and I need to finally finish up the flower bed out front. Okay, off to chop up lettuce for my lunch salad and get busy, I know Kaylee will love nosing around outside so I am anxious to get out there. HAGWE ♥
4/16/08: A nice day for a bike ride but I must admit my heart wasn't in it, or my bottom; my poor tail bone is having a hard time making the adjustment to enduring the daily abuse. Oh well. ** Today I made a pepper\hominy scramble for my second meal. I love hominy and haven't had it in quite a while, on impulse I had grabbed a can my last trip to the store and today looking in the fridge I saw the peppers and was inspired. I sweated out a small yellow onion with half each of an orange and yellow pepper and a whole poblano pepper (everything diced.) Then I added in a large can of white hominy and let it all sizzle away for about ten minutes, stirring twice. I diced up 2 large kale leaves and added them, covered the pan, and set the timer for 5 minutes. It was light and good, and the hominy was a nice change. I'm not sure how it will hold up appetite wise, but I can always throw together a salad later if I'm hungry. ** Today was pleasant out and the sun warm enough to give Kaylee a shampoo. She wasn't too sure about being soaking wet, but she loved the sun bath with me afterwards and now she is very soft and cuddly. ** It feels good to be half way through another week knowing I am keeping up with my water and exercise. I brought four audio books home from the library today, so lots to listen to while I'm out on my bike or gardening - mostly I'm just trying to stay busy and not think. Happy Hump Day everyone ♥
4/14/08: Finally back inside the house, my face flushes warm, safe from the blustery abuse it has just suffered; fighting the winds at almost every turn this had not been a pleasant 'what can I see today' sort of a bike ride. I have no idea what I saw. It was work, and only my determination to post a 4th day of riding urged me out the front door. The sun was barely winning over the icy air buffeting me around as I struggled to peddle against the oncoming rush. There was one short stretch between water and fence where all was quiet and the sun gloriously warm before I rounded a corner back into the mayhem of weather fronts colliding. Earlier today I walked Kaylee (I now know it's 800 steps around our court) and did a short program of pilates and yoga. The rest of the day was spent on filing my taxes; I haven't waited so late in years and it was rather a rushed job; oh well, at least it is done. My lentil loaf sandwich was good, but as I told Sandy, I liked it better warm. I made a veggie soup to have for dinner tonight; I always try harder to make sure I am eating enough veggies on days I have eaten bread; it still feels like cheating and I only ate 1 slice. Just a quick note about last night - even though I was really full, the feeling passed quickly - a far cry from eating something bad and feeling miserable for hours. I am so much more concious about how my stomach feels now, and hate it when I feel heavy with food; I much prefer feeling satisfied and unaware of any pressure from the inside. Tomorrow I have errands to run so it will be a challenge for me to get out on the bike. I hope my determination lasts.
4/13/08 Update: I had to log back on to say that dinner was dangerously wonderful. I changed the recipe a tiny bit, replacing the sugar with maple syrup, and subbing the T of olive oil for a quick spray of canola when sauteeing the onions and peppers. Also I used smoked paprika instead of chili powder - I have fallen in love with that spice! I can hardly wait for my sandwich using leftovers tomorrow, but I am stuffed and can wait. I did eat my salad first - good thing or surely I would have over eaten. Of course, since I am stuffed, I guess I did anyway...but it was soooo good! Here is the recipe: Lentil Loaf
4/13/08: Last night about 9pm I heard IHOP Harvest Grain Pancakes calling my name, so this morning we went down for breakfast. I had a short stack with blueberries, put my fork down between bites, and stopped when I was satisfied bringing home a large quarter - the SO can have it for a snack or dessert later. We waited 20 minutes after getting home to let breakfast digest, then hit the road on our bikes. My partner brought his camera and when he stopped for pictures I did sprints, adding almost a mile to my ride and hopefully using up lots of gluten so it doesn't stick around to be saved as fat. More exercise today will be washing the car and gardening, a walk for Kaylee, and hopefully...finally making the Lentil Loaf. I had garbanzos on toasted sourdough for lunch yesterday which filled me up leaving no room for my salad, so instead of making lentils for dinner I had a big salad and a cup of kale soup. I'm so sad, there is only one serving of that cruciferous soup left and then it will be time to make another big batch for freezing. It's lots of work, but worth it to reach in the freezer at any given moment for a nutrient rich and filling meal. ** Back to the bike ride, today we saw the blue heron, tons of avecets, half of them wearing their mating colours (the girls), all the Bufflehead babies and two blond ducklings -they are so adorable. I saw jackrabbits cooling off in the shade of bushes yesterday but there were none today, the hot sun keeping them hidden in their cool homes. So three days of biking accomplished, and I feel pretty good about that. As soon as I get up to five miles we will take our bikes over to Sycamore Park to ride one day, I'm looking forward to that. And my water consumption is way up. I'm careful to hydrate at least an hour before or after eating my meals so as not to dilute my digestive juices - I want to wring out as many nutrients as I can from my food! So extra chewing (digestion starts with our saliva) and no water with meals for me. Gotta run, only a half an hour before Golf starts, Go Tiger, you can do it!
4/12/08: Yesterday's bike ride was hard on my butt, but I got out there again this morning. It was really hard, but I pushed myself knowing that I will bounce back into 'bike shape' more quickly if I don't give up. Today I saw baby Bufflehead ducks in the pond; so cute, they are black with white scarves over the back of their heads and look so tiny bouncing around in the water. Today's ride also brought me to a garage sale and I picked up the first of the baby items I will need in the fall; a bassinet and a baby bjorn carrier. It's feeling more real now and I'm thinking about what I need to do to get the house ready for a baby ** Dinner last night ended up being leftovers; dirty rice & beans, plus some kale soup I threw some left over steamed broccoli and yams into - it was wonderful and now I have room in the fridge for left overs from the lentil loaf I will make today. I suppose I had better look at my taxes today...but in the meantime there is sourdough bread in the kitchen and I'm off to make a garbanzo salad sandwich, mmmmm.
4/11/08: I stocked up this morning on fruits and veggies for the weekend, picked up a couple of ingredients I needed to make a lentil loaf for dinner, and I'm about to change from street clothes into biking clothes and head out for a ride. I have a strawberry\kale smoothie planned for lunch when I get home and then when Kaylee is ready we'll go for a short walk later. I have to mention that I'm excited about a movie trailer I watched this morning - the past week I have been addicted to listening to a couple of books, Inkheart and Inkspell, and was so sad when the 2nd book ended (the final book in the trilogy is due out in October, and I don't believe the author will be able to end in one more book...) but now I see that Inkheart has been made into a movie! Starring Brendan Fraser no less, who narrated the 2nd book! If you ever have a chance to listen to him read, do it! He is wonderful. And since I am mentioning that, I must send out kudos to Lynn Redgrave for her outstanding performance reading Inkheart. Finally a movie to look forward to this summer! Yay ♥ Later: Day one of riding, check!
4/10/08: Dinner was dirty rice, coleslaw and wild boar sausages. Lots of fresh peppers in the rice, kale in the coleslaw, and I only had half a sausage; they are leaner than factory sausages but it was still wierd eating the meat, I hope I feel okay tomorrow. I did eat my big salad before dinner and skipped the coleslaw - that was for everyone else - and I only had a small portion of the rice, trying really hard to listen to my stomach. I did manage to put my fork down between bites and spent most of dinner engaged in conversation. (The grandbaby is now the size of a kumquat!) I did get the flowers planted, the lawn trimmed and mowed, and today is the first time in a long time me and Kaylee didn't have an afternoon nap; last minute dinner plans kept me on my feet cooking and cleaning. The temp is going to be in the 80's for the weekend, so the plan is to get out on the bike in the morning before it gets too warm tomorrow: wish me luck!
4/9/08: The flower bed by my front door is almost done; I have two more pots of snap dragons to plant tomorrow and a pile of dirt to haul around to the back. I've spent most of the day outside puttering here and there, listening to Inkspell on my ipod and sort of drifting through the day in a world far away. At least I am not on the couch, even if I am a little disconnected from reality! Last night my stoup came out wonderful with lots of leek, brocolli rabe, carrots, sunchokes and a splash of soy sauce. And I love my new salad dressing, the recipe is labeled as a Caesar but it didn't taste like that tome. It's just different and fresh-let me know if you want the ingredients. Back to Monday, nothing turned out like I expected. No bike ride, no restraint eating mashed potatoes, and can you believe it...wearing my new pedometer I logged 194 steps between 2 and 6. I know that it's not registering all the time I spent on my feet cleaning my small kitchen or making dinner, but still, it shows me how far away from healthy I am - 6,000 steps is my first goal, and then 10,000 by summer. On another front, my SO went to the Dr. yesterday and came home ready to lose weight. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not yet; I've spent the past year learning how to NOT diet and he is already counting calories...big sigh. Oh well, at least he is ready to shed some of his extra pounds, which means he will be willing to go on bike rides with me...I just hope he doesn't expect to actually have conversations while we are out riding so I can listen to my books!
4/7/08: Today there are no excuses. I am just back from target where I picked up an ipod shuffle so I can take my audio books with me for bike rides, working in the yard or doing dishes. It does have to charge for 4 hours, but that leaves plenty of time for a ride later this afternoon. No more being glued to the computer! It's a beautiful day, so the weather is not a prohibiting factor either. Also, inspired by Josephine and the I can make you thin guy, I picked up a pedometer to wear. I do have one, but it has disappeared into the recesses of my office and for $9 it is worth it to just get a new one. The idea that is rebounding in my head from the fourth in McKenna's thin series is that "what you measure gets done." Now I have a history of compulsive tracking, and it took me a while to get over that and switch to not counting calories, but I think with exercise it is different because I will be tracking something positive, and I am going to start 'measuring' my steps and recording my bike miles ridden for the next five weeks. I am taking it as a sign that when I called and asked about the ipod I found them on sale ($49) and that the clerk who helped me knew exactly where the pedometers were in in sporting goods. I feel armed and ready to face exercise again. This will be the first time since starting my plant based eating that I will actually be trying to burn calories and get back in shape, so it will be interesting to see how that works out appetite wise. Oh, and I also picked up a bike lock so I can bicycle over to the grocery store - I just need to get the carrier. So I am finally thinking positive this morning - a refreshing change. And dinner: tonight will be my first try at following the McKenna rules. I am making sour cream (tofutti) mashed potatoes (something I would normally avoid) and I am going to sit with my DD and eat one bite at a time and really see if I can sense when I am full and stop eating before my serving is gone and my plate licked clean. Okay, now I am starting to get a little worried that it isn't just a good mood but that the 'manic' me has kicked in....
4/6/08: I went out several times yesterday to head for the garage and my bike, but despite the promise of the sun, the wind was just too chilly, like ice riding through the air to bite and pinch. So no bike ride and my journal entry will say 'too cold to ride'. I kept busy with housekeeping chores and enjoyed my left over bean soup and even won the battle to 'pick up something' for dinner and was satisfied with home fare. Kaylee was walked, she does such a good job of trotting along next to me, and once back home we played fetch quite a bit - she is the fastest dog I have ever seen! I have to go shopping today; I have a new recipe for cesaer salad dressing I am looking forward to trying and I want the ingredients for enchilada pie. I am going to substitute the layer of refried beans with a mixture of summer squashes and a chilie relano salsa I have in the cupboard to lighten up the recipe, it was a little heavy with both whole and refried beans last time. Speaking of which, I need to go get the black beans in the crock pot. I am also craving my garbanzo tacos ... it's so nice to have a craving for something that isn't bad for me! Happy Sunday ♥
4/5/08: Last night good friends came for a visit, to meet Kaylee and play a game (the laughing was wonderful) and I used the occaision as an excuse to serve dessert. As I prowled through the bakery I found a selection of 'Gianna's all natural handmade baked goods.' I opted for the Italian Almond Truffle cakes which turned out to be like a light pinafore with marzipan (my favorite) in the middle and draped in chocolate. Small, rich and wonderful, we had them with a small scoop of dairy free vanilla soycream. But the highlight of the evening was the laughter and if I had served fruit for dessert the night would have been just as fun. I will have to remember that for next time. I did start on the front flower bed yesterday and plan to do some more work out there today, and Kaylee did get her walk, and I even did some housekeeping and ate healthy up until dessert. Okay, there was wine involved last night, but hey, antioxidants are important! I did find out a new trial date yesterday so I know I have at least five weeks ahead of me. I saw that Josephine had posted how many steps she had walked with her new bodybugg, and I'm thinking I could do the same with my bike for the next five weeks to help keep me from stress eating. For a positive affirmation I will put on exercise pants when I get dressed this morning..or whenever ;) But I will start a bike journal today. Maybe take my camera and pick a favorite picture each week to post. I noted earlier this morning to Sandy that we need something besides ourselves to focus on, hopefully I can take my own advice. Lets have a wonderful weekend ♥
4/4/08: Yesterday I made white bean soup; I blended part of it and the kale turned it green, but that's okay - green is good! (Speaking of green, have you seen the HGTV green house? The bottom floor is exactly what I want. What a gorgeous kitchen! And in S.Carolina too, a possible retirement destination.) Anyway, I used a tiny bit of liquid smoke and soy sauce for the saltiness beans seem to require and my cup was yummy and filling. Despite this attempt at healthy comfort food I ended up eating cookies and chips yesterday anyway; just small bags, one of each, but it seems I am determined to make myself feel like crap lately. Once again I seem to have let in the little devil who used to sit on my shoulder whispering lies. The next month will be a challenge to me; the trial looms closer and each day I get a little more crazy. I am going to try to get out for a bike ride today, take Kaylee for a walk, plant the front flower bed...the reality is I might be on the couch all day and that makes me nuts. Maybe typing this will give me the anger I need to get moving. Isn't it odd that the exact things we need to do to relieve stress are the hardest things to do just when we need them? What's up with that? Building character? Cuz if this is about showing my true colour then I am not very happy with the shade I am turning! Maybe I should just go check myself in somewhere for a couple of weeks. Or hire a babysitter - I can just see the ad: Crazy woman seeking 24/7 supervision; responsibilities include guarding the keys to the car and the TV remotes, preparing healthy vegan meals, and strictly enforcing daily bike rides and yoga sessions. Gloomy people need not apply. Harrumph! Hey, maybe this is a new profession opportunity; opening my house to people who need a week of supervision. It would work like AA, me taking care of someone else to divert attention from myself! I think I would need a larger house though...lol, maybe I'll win the HGTV green home!
4/2/08: I spent hours today reading from Dr. Fuhrman's book on fasting. I'm too lazy to look up the link, but the information is very interesting and I can see some fasting in my near future; maybe start Friday am and end it with watermelon for dinner Sunday. But apparently the real healing starts after a week. I think I just want the experience of a couple of days before I commit to going somewhere. I have two days under my belt now and am feeling much better. I just really need to bite the bullet at the next holiday and make it healthier. The longer I eat healthy, the worse my reactions to our traditional holiday fare. I guess July 4th is next on the list - healthy potato salad and veggie burgers sounds good to me! And it will be the perfect time to give my new ice cream maker (generously donated by MRS) a whirl; maybe a raspberry soy cream? Tonight I had two corn tortillas, warmed in the microwave, and stuffed with garbanzo beans I had crushed with a quarter avocado and hot sauce. This after my big salad of course. And for dessert I just had a snack cup of applesauce and half an ounce of walnuts. It feels good to be back on track.
3/31/08: March is almost gone; a quarter of the year used up...it's just amazing, where did it go. I wonder how many times have I asked that exact question-yet it hasn't prompted me to make better use of my time. Wasn't I suppose to be in my stretch 14's by now???
Just a moment ago I was pressing my left thumb and middle finger together thinking of a toasted cheese sandwich crawling with worms and coated with hair; those of you watching the Paul McKenna special "I can make you thin" will understand this, others will just be grossed out. But the fact is that I don't want the sandwich anymore. What was disturbing watching the series on TLC last night was how few memories I could summon to do the 2nd part of the exercise - summoning really good feelings by reliving really happy moments in my life. I know I have them, I think I am just really out of practice. So I need to spend some time working on that, making one of my never ending lists so I can summon good feelings and dispell the fairy tale that food is the solution to 'changing my state of mind.' That being said, I am picking up a veggie Delite pizza to have with the pea soup for dinner tonight; my DD is coming and that sounds good to her. I'm not sure if I have really said specifically before, but she is pregnant, due in November, and having a hard time with smells right now. Anyway, I keep forgetting that thoughts are things, and it's so easy to slip into old habits of gloom, so I know trying to remember good memories will be good for me and help me get off the couch. Mostly I think I exhausted myself getting the house ready for Easter (physically and emotionally) what a wuss I am! I had gluten free sourdough\cornmeal pancakes for breakfast (3 small ones) with maple syrup, so there is my grain for the day. And I'm already craving another purple slurry smoothie for lunch - I love it when I have healthy cravings and the ingredients to follow through, which reminds me, I really need to get to the grocery store!
3/29/08: Okay, skratch the fasting idea for now, I need to start that with an empty refrigerator! Today the house is filled with the rich aroma of pea soup made with stock from the Easter ham. Since it was a honey baked ham I added kale to the vegetables to offset the sweetness and I am hoping for a balanced savory soup for dinner. In the meantime I have made a Purple Slurry for lunch. Pomegranite juice, crushed flax seed, kale, frozen blueberries and strawberries and half a cup of pear juice to offset the kale. I usually use spinach in my smoothies, but I am out, so in the kale went instead. It's amazing how the colour changed from green to purple, and it's just luscious and rich and satisfying; also I let the blender run until it's silken smooth, those extra few minutes really make a difference in the texture. So my goal changed from fasting to using up everything in the fridge, how like me that is! So for now lots of soups and smoothies and I'll figure out a better time for the fasting, maybe even going away to do it. [True North has a new health center in Santa Rosa for supervised fasting, maybe I will do that.] Anyway, I'm back to focusing on nutrition, and when the soup is gone I'll be back to strictly plants for awhile. My body seems to be much happier when I do that. Hope everyone is having a good weekend ♥
3/27/08: Without going into devilish details, let me just say that yesterday afternoon was disasterous; call it 'a moment of insanity meets buttered popcorn'. And today I am suffering the consequences - nauseous and dizzy, just all together wretched. Anyway, with prompting from my health Guru Michelle, I started thinking about fasting which led me to hours of online research into the idea. My SO is gone for four days, and I'm thinking of using this time for starting a short fast of Oki and water. If all goes well I might continue for another ten days, gradually using less and less of the Oki until I am on only water for a week. Why would I do this? Well, there are lots of health reasons, but for now just to cleanse and reboot my taste buds and defray the damage from Easter is incentive enough. So I'm thinking I'll finish up the watermelon for dinner tonight, and start tomorrow morning with the juice and water and just see how it goes. Call me crazy...
3/25/08: Holidays continue to be a challenge on many levels, but there are some good things to share. I was so busy I forgot to do laundry! Searching in my bureau Sunday morning I came across some slacks that were too small at Thanksgiving, and they not only fit but were loose! How did that happen? So I measured my waist and I'm down an inch! Which is strange because I am not exercising. So I grabbed a pair of jeans I hadn't had on in a long time, and they fit perfect; thank heavens, I am so tired of wearing the same jeans all the time. I have just finished the last handfull of licorice jelly beans, the butter is gone, and I have already made stock from the ham bone for pea soup this week. Dinner went pretty much as planned, with the exception of the boysenberry pie that showed up for dessert and the rum and coke that had miraculously appeared earlier in the day. All in all a nice day with good company and good food. Monday I drove my DM to Sycamore Grove and we walked a total of one and a half miles. Here is the bridge we walked across on our way to see a huge blue Heron catch his breakfast, a wild turkey foraging in the olive groves, and a bench to rest on while watching the brook far below gurgle it's way past sycamores filled with chattering birds. Baked ham and cheese sandwiches were the treat of the day for dinner, but first we ate big healthy salads out on the back brick patio for lunch when we arrived home exhausted from our walk. I think all in all Mom was very happy with the blend of healthy foods, execise, and rich treats. Come to think of it, so was I! But I am glad it's over, my body is screaming for water and I find myself chugging bottles one right after the other trying to quench my thirst. My cells are rejecting the salt, fat and sugar of the last couple of days and want to be cleansed of the whole mess. So do I!! Have a good week everyone, I hope you're all back on track and looking ahead to summer.
3/23/08: Spring and Easter Blessings to all my W8Book friends ♥
3/21/08: Seven hours left to pull the house together; for those not listening to my whining the last few days, my Mother is coming for the Easter weekend. For dinner tonight, a shepards pie with sweet potatoes on top; veggies inside of course and a lovely mushroom gravy I think. I'll wait for tomorrow to introduce the concept of 1/2# salads by making her one for lunch. I know she will never take the time to eat this way herself, but maybe the weekend will inspire her to at least make healthier choices than In-N-Out. Speaking of healthy choices, I had a yummy spinach\blueberry\flax seed smoothie for dinner last night. I think I will make another for lunch today since it's another busy busy day. Back to dragging furniture from the patio to the house...at least the carpet feels lovely to wiggle my toes through!
3/20/08: Today I gave up a little. I was so busy I forgot breakfast, then exhausted from spring cleaning and frustrated that my SO is once again sick and can't pull his share, when we left to have lunch when the carpet cleaner came and he said Appleby's after I had suggested the Taqueria I didn't argue. And after looking at the new menu (new owners) and seeing NOTHING I felt good about eating, I opted for comfort food. I ordered the tomato basil soup, and half a grilled cheese, no bacon. When I picked up my sandwich it was so greasy I almost let it slip through my fingers. Jeez Loueez. And of course I ate it all. AND, since I wasn't done pouting, we ordered their new little shot sized desserts, I had key lime and he had strawberry shortcake. Yummy, lite and delicious...I don't even want to know what was in it. I figure moving furniture, vacuuming twice, edging and mowing the lawn and grocery shopping will have worked off most of the damage. Plus I am chugging water since the work makes me thirsty. I have lots of healthy foods in the house to help keep me sane while my Mom is here, but if you felt like sending some luck my way for the weekend, well, that would be just fine. Back to finishing the yard....
3/19/08: The greeting of a cold, windy and maybe soon to be wet morning is difficult after the sunny days we've been having. Today is about decluttering the house, the carpet cleaner is coming tomorrow and my DM on Friday. She is a little curious and a little concerned about what I will be feeding her, but I promised it would all be good. Hopefully she will be pleasantly surprised. We do have a Honey Baked ham for Easter, so she will have refuge in something familiar. Our traditional Easter fare is ham, brown bread, coleslaw and scalloped potatoes. The brown bread is more cake than bread and I really don't want to change anything about that, but I can make the coleslaw and potatoes both wonderful and healthy while keeping the traditional flavours. It will be easy to just have small portions of ham and bread while the lions share of the plate goes to the veggie dishes. And yes, there will be wine ;) This morning breakfast will be watermelon - fruit for breakfast continues to be an amazing development. I don't get hungry until later than I used to upon waking, and the fruit keeps me satiated until lunch. I used to eat oatmeal every morning about 7 and by 10 I was dying for a snack. I can't believe how little I eat in the mornings now, how much more busy I am, and how little I think about food before lunch. STRANGE! I think learning to listen better to my body has been one of major changes I have been going through; learning that it's important to let our body finish it's nightime detoxing chores and then to help clean things out with some fruit to break the fast is probably the most radical change I have made these past few months. Okay, enough rambling, I'm off to housework! I can hardly wait for that 'moment' when the whole house is clean at the same time ♥
3/18/08: Dinner was perfect last night; the corned beef tender and spicy, the veggies rich and tasty. This year there was no bread & butter or dessert but we didn't miss them dinner was so yummy. And I have the left over stock in the fridge so I can de-fat it and use it for lentil soup later this week. I did have half an Amber Bock, it's been so long since I had any beer it tasted wonderful. "Everything in moderation!" Last night I watched a show I had taped "I can make you thin." Did anyone else see this? Part one of his method are four golden rules.
1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat what you want.
3. Eat conciously, putting your fork down between each bite.
4. Stop when you first think you are full.
He showed how closing your eyes when eating tunes you in to feeling when you are full instead of just eating everything on your plate, what he calls seeing when you are full. He also noted that even if you are just hungry again ten minutes later, just eat again following the rules. It was funny, he talked about comfort eating and mentioned my two favorites, Mac N Cheese & Pizza, and says that next week he presents part two of his method and how to overcome the cravings. Here is the blurb:
"TLC has announced I Can Make You Thin, a new reality series that will follow British weight-loss guru Paul McKenna as he takes his health techniques stateside, will premiere Sunday, March 16 at 9PM ET/PT.
I Can Make You Thin will showcase McKenna's "4 Golden Rules" -- simple and accessible techniques that McKenna claims will show viewers "how to control the mind's relationship with food" and shed pounds without leaving their couches.
"This is not a diet, " explained McKenna. "It's about changing your life using simple psychological techniques which transform people's relationship with food forever. I am thrilled to bring this successful program to America for the first time."
Each episode of the five-part series will follow McKenna as he applies his rules to one of the major themes that commonly occur for those who struggle with weight: emotional eating, addictions and cravings, motivation to exercise and metabolism, and self esteem and self-image.
In addition, I Can Make You Thin will also include a live studio audience, field segments, scientific research, and at-home strategies.
"Paul is a pioneer in the field of weight-loss, challenging and exercising the mind's relationship with food," said TLC programming executive Brant Pinvidic. "Finally, American viewers will learn why the TV might be the most important weight-loss tool ever."
McKenna -- a best-selling non-fiction author and hypnotist who has worked with celebrities, athletes, musicians and business executive -- also starred in the U.K.'s version of I Can Make You Thin, which aired in 2006 and was the most-watched show in the history of Sky Television, a satellite television network available in Britian. Its companion book is also the best-selling self-improvement book in British History."
I'm not sure how this applies to getting adequate nutrition, but hey, you never know what we might learn! Have a great week everyone ♥
3/17/08: The enchilada casserole was good, very filling, and I started tweaking the recipe half way through (details by request) to make it easier, and the refried beans and sauce were easy to make. Now I have leftovers for some dinners later in the week, which is good because I will be tired from cleaning, preparing for my DM visiting over Easter. But like I was telling Charlotte, busy is good when it keeps us from eating! Which reminds me, it's getting easier all the time to not snack, and I am less prone to the craziness that used to invade my brain driving me to 'find something'. I think it is true that my body is happy with the better nutrition and thus...less and less cravings all the time! If I want something sweet, I add a bit of honey to my tea or salad dressing. This morning my SO spilled a honey nut cheerio on the counter when pouring himself a bowl; I snatched it up and popped it into my mouth and....it was like eating pure sugar! I didn't even want to read the label. Ok, off to shop and cook. At this point I have no desire for the corned beef i'm making, but I am looking forward to the veggies and the flavour they get while cooking with it. Happy Holiday everyone ♥
3/16/08: I seem to have developed an aversion to the scale. I am afraid to step on it, I am afraid to do anything to upset the calm everyday routine by inserting a number that might play havoic with me. I am a professional at playing the number game, a low number instigating eating and a high number instigating a rebellious response, "I might as well eat since nothing works!" Talk about a lose lose situation. Well, I want to avoid all that, and while I feel lighter I have no desire to confirm or deny that sensation. I want to stay on this even keel and keep taking one meal at a time thinking about my health and nutrition. So no weigh in this morning, and fresh pineapple for breakfast - on to the food! I cooked 1# of pinto beans overnight in the crockpot in preparation of making re(non)fried beans today for my Mexican (enchilada) Casserole. I'm also making the enchilada sauce from scratch which should save on a ton of sodium. Here is the link I am working from (thanks Michelle) http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/07/mexican-lasagna-or-enchilada-casserole.html.
I have a ripe avocado to make a fresh salsa too, so dinner will be decadent indeed, but still on plan; how great is that? I am still coming up short on exercise, but I'm not worried about it like I used to be; as has been noted, as I feel better I will exercise more. It is quite the blustery day here, so no bike ride, but I have a visitor who is keeping me busy! His name is marty, he is some sort of bristol terrier mutt with hobbit feet, and Kaylee's head fits in his mouth. They are getting along wonderfully, but he knows not his strength and I keep a careful watch on his heavy paws; Kaylee is a toy to him and I don't want her broken. THAT is my exercise this weekend ;) ♥
3/14/08: Grey skies & chilly wind, fat squirrels & rawkous blue jays, it will take some effort to get out and walk Kaylee this afternoon unless the weather improves. I made pea soup for dinner last night; a fresh fennel bulb and half a red onion diced, a cup of green split peas, a few cups of water and some Mrs. Dash table seasoning. Blended to a creamy richness once tender it was simple but wonderful and filling. My salad dressing was six green sicilian olives that had been packed in olive oil diced and tossed with some balsamic vinegar. The spicy bits of olive were enough to make the salad feel decadent and satisfying, and some raw pumpkin seeds thrown on top added just the right amount of crunch. There is so much we can do to change up a salad, so many wonderful ingredients to add flavour and texture. I've been eating two 1/2# salads most days for a while now and the more I experiment the more fun I am having discovering new combinations. When I was a little girl my grandmother used to make Watercress sandwiches, and I just loved them, who knew how smart she was 50 years ago! Of course the egg bread and mayo might have counteracted the benefits, but they were very yummy. Lately I have been chopping up a handful of watercress for my salads, and it adds a wonderful freshness besides being good for us. (I always take a little nip off a stem before chopping to make sure it is sweet and not bitter.) My thoughts going into the weekend seem to be running towards Mexican food, maybe veggie enchiladas, that sounds warm and yummy for a rainy weekend, guess it's off to the store to read the labels on enchilada sauce!
3/12/08: Lunch: Today my salad dressing at lunch was a tomato blended with 1/2oz walnut pieces and 1/2T flax seeds. Simple, sweet and yummy. My 1/2# salad was romaine, watercress, kale, green onion, radish, cauliflower and english cucumber. I forgot the beans I usuually add at lunchtime so I had a cup of FF refried beans with a dash of bbq sauce heated up in the microwave - it felt like I was eating dessert! And I made enough salad for dinner too, so all I have to do is add the dressing when we get back from the archery range late this afternoon so I won't be tempted by 'fast' food.
3/12/08: As many of you know, I love tea. Especially ginger tea. So when I saw the Yogi Ginger tea on sale I picked up a couple of boxes. Well, this past week I have been feeling very 'buzzy'. Not nervous, more like I had a low grade electric current running through my veins. That is why I reached for the wine yesterday, I wanted that feeling to go away! So this morning I felt fine, but as soon as I had my tea I noticed the buzzing was back. I went and checked the label and there is licorice root in the tea! The label says decaffeinated which should have alerted me, but hey, it was ginger tea! Funny that I missed that being such an avid label reader now, but hopefully that is all the buzzing is about and skipping the tea will solve the problem. Last night actually got a little worse with ice cream for dessert, but today we are going back to the archery range for more hiking and shooting and I have a big bag of fertilizer to plant a flower bed this afternoon. So lots to keep me busy and work off the calories from my day off program; we all need to indulge a little sometimes ;)
3/11/08: Drink a little wine....eat a little pizza....
3/10/08: Some time ago, maybe a year, I noted on a board somewhere that eating salads without fat was sort of pointless; we need the fat to absorb the nutrients and I wasn't giving up my olive oil. At that time I opted for calories from oil instead of the sugar in the LF dressings so that I would be sure to be absorbing the nutrients from my salad. Well...I spent the weekend watching some of the GetHealthyNow! DVD's from the Healthy Lifestyles Expo's of 2006 & 2007 and they really helped me understand some misconceptions I had. I was right on track about needing fat with the salad, but it should be a healthy fat, not olive oil which is NOT healthy despite the gallons that are poured onto food everyday on the food network. I encourage everyone to listen to these videos that are posted at the link above; it feels great to learn from scientists instead of corporations what is healthy. Normally I would insert a big sigh here, but I think I am past that....harumph. So, healthy fats are from nuts and seeds, and I have been adding them to my salads regularly for several months now, along with avocado (one of the great loves of my life & another healthy fat) which is a good thing, but then adding a dressing too. I imagine I will always splurge sometimes and make the garlic dressing I learned from my FIL that uses olive oil, but for my twice a day everyday salads I realized I have been thinking about this wrong. SO, instead of using tofu or scant amouts of oil as bases..I tried grinding up some walnuts and flax seed in my coffee grinder, then transfering them to a small blender and adding some vinegar and spices, maybe a whole peeled orange, some water, and duh....the nuts create the creamy oil base for the dressing wonderfully! I have had recipes for these kinds of dressings, but I am slow to act on new ideas and I needed the reinforcement from the DVD's to get moving on this one (thanks Missy.) I made enough dressing for a couple of days, and it will be interesting to see what effect this has on my weightloss. Everyone have a good week ♥
3/7/08: Lunch: Awhile back my friend Michelle reminded me I could use my California Garden Burger to make a 'Burger Salad' when I was having fast food cravings. Driving past BK on the way home from the store reminded me of this and when I got home I threw one together. A bowl of shredded cabbage, a drizzle each of catsup and mustard, 1T vegan mayo, diced tomato, dill pickle, 1/4 avocado and red onion to my taste, then everything mixed together and my california burger diced and tossed on top. This is a once in a while treat, the burger has 30% of it's calories from fat even if the ingredients look healthy and canola oil is down at 8th on the list. Plus the sodium is four times what it should be (patty=90cal, sodium=380mg where it should only be 90mg) per my latest healthy label reading guidelines. Now I'm stuffed and ready to go work in the kitchen. I have carrots, celery and onion to chop and make vegetable stock. Reading labels I found that the only low sodium veggie cubes Safeway had listed sugar as the No.1 ingredient and contained MSG. Rather than drive downtown when gas is $3.46gal I decided it's time to make my own stock!
3/7/08: I dove into a prequel to Anne of Green Gables yesterday that I found while picking up Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Fuhrman for my DD (hint hint.) It was fun to go back in time to the character I was named for (Anne -with an e-Shirley) and the story I fell in love with as a child; Prince Edward Island has always been the #1 place I want to visit. I made a yummy soup for dinner last night, sauteeing together a head of bokchoy and a poblano pepper with poultry seasonings, then adding a cup of precooked green lentils; very quick and simple. Dessert later was a smoothie of pomegranite juice, mango, blueberries, spinach & ground flaxseed. It was so sweet and filling, just scrumpteous. And last night when my SO asked who was getting the ice cream, I said "not me!" My DD has an ice cream maker and was telling me about the wonderful sorbees they make in the summer, I might just have to buy me one of those! I know she also makes wonderful soy based 'ice creams' for her lactose intolerant friend, but I would have to be more careful about the sugar content of those desserts. It's time to head back to the store today, I ate my last apple for breakfast this morning and I'm out of lettuce. I've been on a Romain kick lately, and it goes fast when you eat a whole head in each salad, twice a day. It's getting easier all the time; fruit for breakfast, a salad with beans for lunch, more fruit, a salad with nuts or seeds at dinner (and avocado of course) and a couple of cooked greens (usually in a stoup.) I am still amazed that fruit and salad keep me so satisfied all day, I can't remember the last time I went 'hunting' in the kitchen cupboards or fridge. Crossing my fingers it lasts....
3/5/08: I just finished watching The Biggest Loser from last night, and what I can't get out of my mind is the scene where they are talking in the kitchen and we see their dinner plates; what must have been at least an 8oz steak and a small serving of green beans. After reading a couple of newsletters that my friend MRS gave me (one written by Dr. McDougall and one by Dr. Fuhrman) and understanding better about how digesting animal protein puts our bodies in an acidic state, and how we rob our bones of the 'alkaline' component to balance that acid, it makes me crazy to see a dinner like that served on a program that is not just about losing weight, but about gaining a healthy lifestyle. ARGHHH. (It also makes more sense to me now how I could have broken my leg walking out the front door at a time when I was following the Atkins diet.) Okay, done venting, but women - if you are concerned about the risk of bone loss please read up on this - and STEP AWAY FROM THE DAIRY!
I am excited to be going to the archery range today. I haven't been for a long time, it's in Oakland close to where my son was killed and just driving in that direction has been too distressing and I just haven't been going. But I am in a better place now, and while driving out there might be difficult the urge to get back to the redwoods, pines and green meadows of the range is stronger than my aversion to making the trip; it's a paradise out there compared to little suburbia. My SO has been tuning my bow and arrows, my Palm is charged and ready to go (lol, even archery has become really technical!) and I have my hiking boots on. I haven't been shooting because of my back, but I am tired of waiting. Depending on how it goes today I might need to try switching to a left handed bow, we'll see.
Dinner last night was my half # salad followed by a potato covered in broccoli with a couple of slices off of a block of jalapeno jack rice cheeze. Probably about an ounce of cheeze, but it was a decadent feeling dinner since there was only one cooked green. Six dried apricots and an ounce of raw almonds made up dessert while watching New Amsterdam later in the evening. I tend to have dinner around 5pm and dessert whenever I get hungry. I used to think 'no eating past 7' but I think that restriction helped fuel the need to binge later in the evening. And by binge I don't mean that uncontrollable shove everthing you can in your mouth event. I mean a 100 calorie pack of popcorn and then a piece of fruit and then a handfull of raisins. Something like that. But that is too much food when it's 9 or 10 at night. (Night time is for detoxing and our body's chance for recovery; we shouldn't be minimizing those efforts by using resources digesting food.) Plus I would eat dessert at 7 whether I was hungry or not because it was my 'last chance' to eat for the evening. Waiting now until I am hungry and then having a little something nutritious seems to be working much better. I have noticed that my popcorn cravings have diminished, which is good because that means less sodium. One of my favorite desserts is a small banana with walnut pieces pushed into a row down the side. Yummo! I plan for this by skipping or only using half an ounce of nuts or seeds in my salad, saving some for dessert later - I have noticed that adding nuts as part of dessert seems to help keep me from snacking between then and bed too. lol, enough about the D word!!
It's good to be starting a day in a positive attitude; I'm off to walk Kaylee, have a good day ♥
3/3/08: Having skipped cake and ice cream last night, this morning we endulged my craving for corn pancakes & butter at IHOP. I figure the calories were better spent this morning than last night anyway, and why not spend them on something I really wanted rather than something traditional? While there I saw this poster for their "Who Cakes" http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=827623 and it made me think once again about what we are feeding our kids. Even while some of us are giving more thought to nutrition, the vast majority of marketing towards children (and the rest of us) still runs to sugar. They are gorgeous, and if I were still a kid I would want these pancakes! It's another sunny day here (whoo hoo it's suppose to reach 70) so more yard work and a chance to burn off calories, and then I'll make a high protein pea soup for dinner; my DD will be here and has voiced her concern about getting enough protein in her diet. I'm thinking a LF hummus spread on a toasted whole grain roll to go with the soup, and a salad with pumpkin seeds. That should stuff her full of protein! Time to get busy ♥
3/2/08: Last year at this time I was working hard to get in shape for my week at surf camp, this year I am still recovering from the sprained knee I got for my efforts at surfing! (But what a fun week it was) Looking at my year in review I am in a better place mentally, emotionally and nutritionally with the help of good friends, old and new. This past year has really has been about struggling to not drown in a sea of me, and about learning to let go of dark baggage and just try to be myself. As the song goes, "What a long, strange trip it's been." There are blue skies out there today, and I hear a bike ride beckoning after brunch, and I am grateful that I don't feel 'older' on the occasion of my Birthday, and happy I have such a pretty day to celebrate. ♥
3/1/08: This morning I am headed out to spend three hours volunteering at the phone banks for Barack Obama, helping get his message out to Texas. This is a first for me, it is also the first time I have ever contributed money to a campaign and it makes me feel good to know there are a million others who have done the same; I feel that this multicultural man was born for this time of crisis. Spending trillions of dollars on someone elses civil war overseas while we close schools and lay off teachers here at home is insanity and we desperately need a change in the way government (we the people) operate. IMHO he is the person who can implement that change.
Anyway, I had a yummy pear for breakfast, and I'm taking an apple and a nectarine in the car to tide me over till lunch. And it just so happens that where I am going is next to a Whole Foods market so I will be able to grab a salad for lunch and then do some healthy shopping before heading home. I haven't been before so it will be fun to shop somewhere new that has a good reputation.
It felt like summer here yesterday, sunny and hot! When I went to trim off all the old pomegranites (miniature) I discovered that the pink jasmine has worked it's way through the whole hedge. I couldn't bear to cut it back so I should have a wild mass of blooms in a while, it is already covered with pink buds; our local hummingbird is going to be very pleased! I will set up the camera and tripod and try to get a picture when he starts coming around regularly and I know his schedule (they are very habitual creatures.) I also noticed a pair of Blue Jays in the tree out front by the driveway, apperently tending the same nest that gave us our two babies in 06. One of them was yelling at me rather persistently, so I am pretending that he is our baby 'Squawker' come back home to raise his own babies. Hey, it's possible! Oops, gotta run, everyone have a good weekend ♥
2/29/08: I made quite a dent in the backyard yesterday even though I was interrupted by an occular migraine. (They seem to be coming once a month about the same time and I wonder if they are hormone induced; might be time to check in with an optomologist.) Kaylee really enjoyed romping in the grass after being cooped up so long - she hates the rain. After taking my daffodill pic I realized how long the grass really was and I had to mow, she had the sense to go hide in the house until I was done with that part, but I can see she will be great company while I work out there this spring; it's much easier for her to get around now that the grass is short, she's such a low rider! And FAST. She went with me to take the greenwaste cart to the curb (the driveway is 30 yards long) and zipped like a bullet when it was time to head back to the house. Agility training? Dog races? I need to think about this! Anyway, I'm a little sore this morning but looking forward to getting some more done out there today.
Interestingly enough I don't feel the urge to splurge like I normally do the morning after a challenge, I guess I feel I've already splurged this week and I have a brunch date to look forward to on Sunday so I will save what is supposed to be my weekly treat until then. All in all I am happy with the progress I have made. I put on shorts the first time this year, and they were at least loose if not falling off like I had wanted, but I am on the right track and glad to not feel stuck anymore. 3 more pounds and I will be in 'new' fat ;)
Little paws damp with the morning dew land on my bare calf, and a cold nose draws my attention down to the soft furry insistence of a puppy in need of her morning cuddles. I am off to the couch with a hot cup of tea and for a game of tug (yes, I'll be careful.) Hapy Friday everyone ♥
2/28/08: Well I seem to be on an upward spiral. First there was the pint of soy dream butter pecan, and then dried apricots for snacking, and this morning I had sourdough toast with a mixture of raw cashew butter and fig only jam on top (how do I keep bringing these things into the house????) Only one piece, nothing radical, but a maintenance breakfast, not a losing one. I'm still eating my salads and cooked greens, but have added in all these extras the past couple of days. Maybe the added activity of working in the yard after a couple months of sedentary loafing spiked my appetite? Anyway, my jeans are snug again this morning and I realized I haven't been journaling. I doubt there is much damage, but as always I had hoped to be past this backsliding I tend to do once I have realized I'm getting smaller. My brain needs a good vacuuming! I'll throw the remaining loaf of sourdough into the freezer and try to focus on things 'other than food' for the remainder of the day, but I am guessing Friday morning won't be anything spectacular ;)
2/24/08: The last two trips to the store I went when I knew it wouldn't be crowded and spent some extra time reading labels using the info from Jeff Novick (give the page a moment to load then watch the excerpt from his "healthy" vs health food video) to see if there was an acceptable cracker, including the criteria of not looking like cardboard. So far I haven't seen one. But it is very interesting to read labels with this new perspective; before I would check for saturated fat & grams of fiber to determine if I was going to buy something. Of course now that I am eating so few processed foods it doesn't often come up, but I have left over chickpea spread and have been craving crackers so last week I started looking. I thought I had found one at Target yesterday, falling for the front of the box (I think rule number one is don't believe the front of the box) because it said "made with whole grain". The first ingredient in this New cracker was a list of grains, but then came white flour, a couple different kinds of oil, HFCS, hydrolyzed soy and MSG! How do I remember this? I don't, I'm reading it off the box, because yesterday I forgot my reading glasses and thinking I was reading the first 11 ingredients I thought I was relatively safe in making a healthy choice because there was no sugar or fat in the first half dozen ingredients, whoo hoo, I had really found a 'new' 'whole grain' cracker. In truth what I got was lazy and tired of squinting. Once home with glasses and sanity at hand I then read the bad news. The list of grains I was excited about were in parenthesis, so all of the listed seeds and grains were really only the first ingredient, then came white flour (not ok), oat fiber (ok) sugar, salt and palm oil (not ok when they are in the first five ingredients.) So frustrated again, but at least it has curbed my craving for crackers. I will save them for my SO who often looks in vain for crackers to have with the soup I make, but I don't think I will be tempted. I did have four crackers (one serving) with my spread yesterday as part of lunch -I am really trying hard to not fall prey to perfectionism, the end result of which is binging- but I think that was enough; how funny to fall prey to exactly what I was trying to avoid after learning to read labels correctly. Weather update: outside, still grey but just damp not blowing or dripping; inside, optimisitic ♥
2/23/08: Soup today was the mixing of some old favorites with some new; green lentils, leeks, bokchoy, kale, red onion, sunchokes and a little Thai seasoning. I've found that just a little Thai seasoning really enhances the flavours of the vegetables instead of overwhelming them. I did use some vegetable stock, but only a cup and then water to cover everything to cut back on the sodium. Making my own stock is definitely on my list of things to do! Kaylee refused to walk today in the light showers we have been having on and off all day, I don't blame her, so we played on the floor until I was exhausted - can I count this as my exercise? I made double salad at lunch today so no more chopping for me tonight. I'm getting better at planning ahead, organizing the fridge, and keeping a running grocery list going so I don't run out of staples for soups and salads. Also, I found a new salad dressing (bought on clearance), Strawberries & Balsamic vinegar. It did have corn syrup in the ingredients, but I thinned it out with some Blackberry vinegar I had and mixed it all up in the blender with flax seed and it is ever so yummy and really low in calories. The strawberries are a great counterbalance to the strong flavour of the raw kale I like to put in my salads and really complimented the walnuts I added today. And lastly, I was listening to Paula Deen cook while playing with the puppy and have to say that all I could think was ewww, gross! The way I think about food is really changing, and when watching the cooking shows I find myself asking "where is the nutrition?" I started my day with a blueberry, spinach, flax seed, pomegranite juice smoothie which was extra yummy and dessert tonight will be a fresh mango with 1/2oz of walnut pieces since I only used 1/2oz on my salad today. So far so good, it's looking to be a pretty good day ♥
2/22/08: I have many errands to run today, and I am thinking about Sandy walking at the Mall in Tennesee and wondering if I have the capacity to walk past Mrs. Fields cookies, Cinnabon, Sees and the bakery without talking myself into a treat. We are so good at rationalization it must be or have been classified as a survival instinct. Since I have doubt, I will pass on that, but I do think I will pick up one sourdough roll while at the store today, and make myself a yummy hummus sandwich; I have been wanting bread all week for some reason and I think today is the day. (I read somewhere about how the communities making and eating sourdough bread were healthier, hence my justification of a 'white bread' for my treat.) I am listening to a set of DVD's a friend lent me, and was pleased to hear that the soups and stoups and stews I make are healthier than throwing veggies in the steamer, the nutrients released into liquid I will eat rather than into the steam that ends up in bottom of the steamer and thrown away.
And I just figured out why I was sad yesterday and this morning too, I should be in Vegas at the archery tournament. What's worse is that I remember making almost the exact same entry a year ago! And just like last year it took me a day of being blue before I figured out what was going on. A year ago I swore I would be ready to go this year. Of course having little Kaylee to tend to did influence my decision to stay home, but it is more than just the trip I am missing, it is the shooting; I wanted to go and shoot my bow. I need to change my list of why's so that my back is the number one reason to lose weight (nothing else has worked to heal it.) I miss the exercise, the zen of shooting, being part of the crowd and I even miss the competition. The difference between this year and last year is my eating pattern; last year I ate all day before figuring out what was going on, this year I had a serving of not-so-unhealthy pancakes and just let myself feel the sad. This year even though I might not feel able to walk past a tempting shop, I'm not afraid of driving past fast food joints, and I will have a treat that is part of a plan I can stick to today. So I guess it's okay to feel sad today because even if I'm not in Vegas, I am in a better place nutritionally, more stable emotionally, and can see a real path forward to making it there next year. And in case you haven't figured it out, when I end my entry with a heart it's because I leave here feeling better than when I arrived! Have a good day everyone, and if you stopped by, thanks for letting me bend your ear, because it really is a big part of my healing process ♥
** I just added another picture link, this one is to a living jigsaw that I thought was great fun! Click on the hang glider above.
2/21/08: I am so glad this morning isn't the day to weigh, I made pancakes for dessert last night and I'm feeling a little heavy. I used applesauce instead of the oil and eggs, and the organic mix was rice based, but it was still overly refined and not on my intended menu for the day. I really miss my pomegranites at night :( I know from past experience that I don't do well with time limits and challenges, that for me it is better to look at the small hourly choices within the really big picture so that I stay away from the stressful deadlines and short term goals that seem to trigger bad food choices. I know we are supposed to be a goal oriented species, but I just don't fit that mold; I am mostly pacific in nature and happier with a calm steady purpose than with a fired-up lets get this done approach. So I applaud myself for not going to get donuts, and making healthy choices most of the day, getting in my pound of raw veggies and making a wonderful bokchoy sautee for dinner. I had chopped up all the odd pieces of veggies in the fridge and tossed them in a zipclose baggie yesterday morning (bokchoy, leek, kale, turnip, celery heart, poblano) so I have leftovers to throw together an easy dinner tonight. Last night I started with onion, added in half a pound of the mix, slow cooked it all with about half a cup of vegetable stock and some Mrs. Dash table blend and stirred in a cup of pinto beans at the end. Yummy and filling but I ate a little early. I am reading now about the benefits of eating only twice a day...which is totally opposite of what I have done forever. But insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results, so obviously I know what doesn't work, and I am open to trying new things. Maybe those should be my six words, "Trying everything to see what works!"
12/20/08: Needing a diversion I decided to check email and found the link I just posted to 'The year you were born', interesting if you are looking for a diversion. Then I checked messages here and found myself replying to Charlotte to 'find a smile and hang on to it.' Well, I can't hardly expect her to do something I wouldn't do myself. So I am off to find a smile. I wonder if maybe I am a little manic\depressive the way I can completely convince myself I will never have another moody day when I am 'up' and then BLAM all of a sudden here I am going a little crazy. But my SO just left for four days on the road, so I am probably dealing with that sneaky inner child who wants a treat when no one can see; jeez loueez! Okay Vail, just think about this for a moment.
1)I want to have better blood work when I get retested in March.
2)I want my shorts to fit this spring.
3)I want my fat face to go away and reach 1derland.
4)I want to lose weight so my sports injuries will heal and I can shoot again.
5)I want to set a good example for my family.
6)I want to go surfing this summer.
7)I want baggy jeans.
Whew, I'm right, those things are much more important than a sourdough roll. I'm going to take a notepad to the couch and find the six words to describe my life. (See Kellybefore for details.) Maybe in the process I will find that smile I was after ♥
12/18/08: Sitting by twos along the banks of our small waterway, the ducks basked in the sun as well as in the attentions of their mates. Some of them were nestled together, their feathers puffed up against the slight chill of the breeze & appearing much larger than usual, while others strolled along in great companionship, their exercise enough to warm them. The brown women proudly strutting along next to their male partners with russet breasts and shiny green heads seemed so plain and demure. But on closer inspection the subtle patterning of their wings brought delight to the artist in me. Further along I saw the ring necked pheasant that has been absent lately, the river finally high enough to tempt him from the golden fields where he makes his home. And up above, arrowing down the center of the canal, only a dozen feet or so above the water flew the great grey heron; his golden elbow patches bright spots of light drawing my eyes as he winged his way along heading for the western end. All in all it was a wonderful bike ride today, and having found a favorite childhood story on audio tape to listen to while I pedaled along made it perfect. (A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter)
I have been making sure to add nuts or seeds to my two salads each day, measuring out a half an ounce of one or the other, and have really noticed a decrease in appetite, as well as a diminishing of my dry winter skin. I love the perks of nutritious meals! I prepared my dinner salad when I returned home from my ride, so it’s ready for when I do get hungry, and there is an artichoke as well as a bag of frozen mixed veggies ready to steam. I love how cheap and easy eating healthy can be ;) I am joining Sandy (LotusJade) in ten days of 100%, and I am glad to say so far so good on day one; it feels good to be 'back in the saddle'!
