Wow, when I clicked on the blog this morning to look up a recipe for a friend, I was stunned when I saw that I haven't been on here since July. Then, when I thought about what all has been going on for the last several months, I wasn't THAT surprised.
In my last post, I was talking about how my meds for heartburn hadn't been working so I decided to try just Zantac on my own. Well, that ended up not working out at all. So there I was, off to see a specialist and, one barium x-ray later, I was on a new prescription...this time for Protonix...and on my way to feeling much, much, better. I'm still holding steady at 192 after losing several pounds because I couldn't eat anything. A couple pounds came back on but that's ok. At least I can eat now.
The one really depressing thing that has happened to me is, I really can't seem to get my cooking groove back. Now that I can eat, I just don't feel inspired to actually prepare anything wonderful for myself. Perfect example. Last night, instead of doing something with the fresh chicken breasts and veggies in my refrigerator, I opted to cook a grilled cheese sandwich, accompanied by a pickle. Now, that's thrilling isn't it? I do want to cook more and prepare fun, easy dishes but just haven't hit that point where I'm really motivated to do it. I do have to prepare Christmas Day dinner for my whole family this year and am looking forward to that. I want to WANT to cook every day though!!
Of course, it would seem I'm falling into the same old patterns that I always follow with my way of eating. There are always a million reasons that I can come up with that it's not convenient to cook for myself. What I need to do is just suck it up and eat right and exercise. Have you ever seen the move "The Color Purple"? There is a scene in it that keeps repeating in my mind and I would swear it's my body talking to me. The scene I'm talking about is when Celie confronts Danny Glover's character about how badly he has treated her. She says, "Until you do right by me, everything you even think about is gonna fail". And I think that is where I am right now. My body has had it and something has got to give. I'm not going to truly feel good until I do right by it.
I'm sorry it has been so long since I last posted and my plan is to get back on the wagon and start cooking beautiful, delicious meals again. I hope that, where ever you are, your holiday season is blessed, full of love and happiness. Come back and check for a new post this week. :)
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Ups and Downs of the last few months
Food wise, things have been mostly downs since March. My stomach has been in such a bad state for a very long time and I really didn't know what was going on. In August of 2008, I was diagnosed with heartburn and given a prescription for Prilosec and told to lose some weight. Beyond that, I received little direction. Things were going ok until the holidays when apparently, I lost my damn mind. I started eating and drinking things I don't even like such as coffee, alcohol. I was drinking soda every day when I hadn't had regular soda for years. My body kicked into high gear and rebelled and that rebellion manifested itself in a terrible way. What I thought was a stomach bug ended up being GERD, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Oh fun! My doctor doubled my dose of Prilosec and yet still no advice on what to eat. Taking matters into my own hands, I began to research it and came across of wealth of information that began to show me what I was going to have to do in order to live with GERD. It took a few months to get my medicine and my prescription right and now things seem to be on the right track. Boring menus but at least I'm not writhing in agony because my chest is on fire.
Some happy side effects of this new way of eating, I have lost 17 lbs. In August I weighed 207. This morning I weighed 190. Most of that weight loss occurred in the last couple of months because I was trying to find the right things to eat and my stomach was in such a horrible place. Now I'm on OTC Zantac 150, once a day. The prilosec and the nexium were both making my breathing labored and my heartbeat speed up. It was very frightening! The Zantac seems to be working so far. My blood pressure is good at 110/70 and my resting heart rate is excellent at 64. During the week, I exercise by swimming at the pool and that seems to really help me feel good, too.
My diet is less than exciting these days. The list of things I shouldn't eat is fairly long and rather depressing when you love to eat, like I do. Onions, garlic, pepper, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, lemon, oranges, limes, all no-no's. At first, I was consumed with thoughts of, "What am I going to eat then? Will I have to eat this way forever?" I still don't know the answer to the first one but the "what" seems to be a bit clearer. My day usually begins with a bit of cottage cheese and fresh fruit, I drink only water between meals, lunch is a sandwich or a turkey hot dog with a touch of cole slaw (no mustard or ketchup), dinner is chicken and veggies or something similar, lightly prepared. The key is to be sure it's low in fat because fat is a heartburn trigger as well. So far, things are boring but they're working. I'm losing weight and not suffering with heartburn.
This experience has taught me many things about myself. First of all, I have a CRAZY sweet tooth!! Living without sugar and chocolate has been so incredibly hard for me but the reward of comfortable living has made it doable. Second I have learned that at my darkest moment I won't give up. That is reassuring, indeed. Even when I was sitting in the doctor's office crying my eyes out, I had my doubts about whether there was a way for me to feel well again but I didn't give up hope. Thankfully, it feels like I'm on the right path.
If you are suffering from GERD or acid reflux, I highly recommend you get a book called,"Eating for Acid Reflux" which you can find at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Acid-Reflux-Handbook-Heartburn/dp/1569244928
I don't get any kickback if you buy it. It has made a big difference for me and I think it could for you, too, if you are not finding medical solutions to your acid reflux problem. My goal is to be off the medicine in a couple of months and to manage it completely through diet. That may not be possible until I lose all the weight I need to lose first but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!
Hope all is well in your world!
Some happy side effects of this new way of eating, I have lost 17 lbs. In August I weighed 207. This morning I weighed 190. Most of that weight loss occurred in the last couple of months because I was trying to find the right things to eat and my stomach was in such a horrible place. Now I'm on OTC Zantac 150, once a day. The prilosec and the nexium were both making my breathing labored and my heartbeat speed up. It was very frightening! The Zantac seems to be working so far. My blood pressure is good at 110/70 and my resting heart rate is excellent at 64. During the week, I exercise by swimming at the pool and that seems to really help me feel good, too.
My diet is less than exciting these days. The list of things I shouldn't eat is fairly long and rather depressing when you love to eat, like I do. Onions, garlic, pepper, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, lemon, oranges, limes, all no-no's. At first, I was consumed with thoughts of, "What am I going to eat then? Will I have to eat this way forever?" I still don't know the answer to the first one but the "what" seems to be a bit clearer. My day usually begins with a bit of cottage cheese and fresh fruit, I drink only water between meals, lunch is a sandwich or a turkey hot dog with a touch of cole slaw (no mustard or ketchup), dinner is chicken and veggies or something similar, lightly prepared. The key is to be sure it's low in fat because fat is a heartburn trigger as well. So far, things are boring but they're working. I'm losing weight and not suffering with heartburn.
This experience has taught me many things about myself. First of all, I have a CRAZY sweet tooth!! Living without sugar and chocolate has been so incredibly hard for me but the reward of comfortable living has made it doable. Second I have learned that at my darkest moment I won't give up. That is reassuring, indeed. Even when I was sitting in the doctor's office crying my eyes out, I had my doubts about whether there was a way for me to feel well again but I didn't give up hope. Thankfully, it feels like I'm on the right path.
If you are suffering from GERD or acid reflux, I highly recommend you get a book called,"Eating for Acid Reflux" which you can find at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Acid-Reflux-Handbook-Heartburn/dp/1569244928
I don't get any kickback if you buy it. It has made a big difference for me and I think it could for you, too, if you are not finding medical solutions to your acid reflux problem. My goal is to be off the medicine in a couple of months and to manage it completely through diet. That may not be possible until I lose all the weight I need to lose first but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!
Hope all is well in your world!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
It's Peach Cobbler, y'all
Mmmmmm. Have you ever had peach cobbler? Here in the South we eat it a lot in the summer time, especially with barbeque but I really had a hankering for it and just had to make myself some this week!
Now for the record, things with flour in them make me feel unwell so, these days, I really cannot enjoy many treats like these. As long as I don't have other things with flour in them during the day, I will allow myself one small portion of this, just so I can have a taste. This is a recipe that I adapted from Paula Deen's "The Lady & Son's" cookbook for pear cobbler.
My Peach Cobbler
Peach Mixture
16 oz bag of frozen peaches
2 tbs butter (salted)
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice (or less depending on your taste)
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS lemon juice, (fresh squeezed if you have it)
Batter:
1 stick salted butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saute pan or non-stick skillet, empty the package of frozen peaches and allow the frost to cook off over medium heat. Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and pumpkin pie spice and cook for 1-2 mins. Take your 1/4 cup of cold water and add the cornstarch to it. Pour that into the skillet and cook over a low heat until the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. As this is cooking, prepare your batter.
Place the stick of butter in a baking dish (like you would use for a casserole) and then put the dish and butter into the 350-degree oven until the butter has melted. Remove and leave the oven on.
Stir together the sugar and flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring a bit at a time, and mix well. Pour the batter over the melted butter in the baking dish. DON'T STIR IT. Gently scoop a couple of peach slices at a time from the skillet and drop them into the batter, moving around the dish until all the spaces are full of peaches. Then very carefully pour the remaining sauce from the pan over the top of the mixture (DON'T STIR) and put it in the 350 degree oven for 30-45 mins, until it's a nice golden brown. It should look like this:
Serve alone or with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. It is delicious!!!!
Now for the record, things with flour in them make me feel unwell so, these days, I really cannot enjoy many treats like these. As long as I don't have other things with flour in them during the day, I will allow myself one small portion of this, just so I can have a taste. This is a recipe that I adapted from Paula Deen's "The Lady & Son's" cookbook for pear cobbler.
My Peach Cobbler
Peach Mixture
16 oz bag of frozen peaches
2 tbs butter (salted)
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice (or less depending on your taste)
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS lemon juice, (fresh squeezed if you have it)
Batter:
1 stick salted butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saute pan or non-stick skillet, empty the package of frozen peaches and allow the frost to cook off over medium heat. Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and pumpkin pie spice and cook for 1-2 mins. Take your 1/4 cup of cold water and add the cornstarch to it. Pour that into the skillet and cook over a low heat until the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. As this is cooking, prepare your batter.
Place the stick of butter in a baking dish (like you would use for a casserole) and then put the dish and butter into the 350-degree oven until the butter has melted. Remove and leave the oven on.
Stir together the sugar and flour. Slowly add the milk, stirring a bit at a time, and mix well. Pour the batter over the melted butter in the baking dish. DON'T STIR IT. Gently scoop a couple of peach slices at a time from the skillet and drop them into the batter, moving around the dish until all the spaces are full of peaches. Then very carefully pour the remaining sauce from the pan over the top of the mixture (DON'T STIR) and put it in the 350 degree oven for 30-45 mins, until it's a nice golden brown. It should look like this:
Serve alone or with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. It is delicious!!!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
BEST. Cookie. EVER.
For a long time now, I have been relentlessly searching for the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Many years ago, I ate a sugar cookie and loved it but had never been able to duplicate the flavor myself. Until now. Oh my goodness. Seriously, I will make these so much more often than Chocolate Chip which had been my favorite cookie for several years running. Because I'm a sharer, I'm going to share the recipe with you.
For all you New Year's dieters out there, I'm sorry for tempting you with this. They are truly, delicious.
I adapted the recipe from one in Dorie Greenspan's book called, "Baking", and her recipe is titled, "Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies".
2 cups all-purpose flour
scant 1/2 tsp KOSHER salt, omit the salt if you only have iodized or cut back to 1/4 tsp.
1/2 tsp baking powder
10 Tbs salted butter at room temp (yes, I said SALTED)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tsps almond extract
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.
With a mixer, (I used my kitchen aid stand mixer) beat the butter at medium speed until it is smooth. Add the sugar and beat again for 2 minutes. Add the large egg and the yolk and beat for a couple more minutes. Add the vanilla and the almond extracts. Turn the mixer off and add the flour in increments, mixing only until it comes together. Frankly at this point, I just grab a big wooden spoon and mix the flour in by hand because my stand mixer leaves all kinds of dry bits at the bottom otherwise. Don't overmix the dough though, you don't want your cookies to be tough.
On wax paper, divide the dough in half. you can roll it out into discs for cutting cookies or, if you're like me and totally impatient with that kind of thing, just roll it into a tube shape so it looks like refrigerated cookie dough you can buy at the store. Let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours then you can cut into shapes or slice and bake. Your choice!
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 8-12 minutes (depending on your oven) until they are done. The tops should not change color. They should still look pale when done.
Please make these and let me know what you think. The original recipe called for unsalted butter and 1 tsp of vanilla, no almond extract. I for one, love the combination of sugar and sweet hence the reason I used salted butter. Oh, and I didn't have any unsalted butter in the fridge. :)
Make these cookies ASAP!!!
For all you New Year's dieters out there, I'm sorry for tempting you with this. They are truly, delicious.
I adapted the recipe from one in Dorie Greenspan's book called, "Baking", and her recipe is titled, "Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies".
2 cups all-purpose flour
scant 1/2 tsp KOSHER salt, omit the salt if you only have iodized or cut back to 1/4 tsp.
1/2 tsp baking powder
10 Tbs salted butter at room temp (yes, I said SALTED)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tsps almond extract
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.
With a mixer, (I used my kitchen aid stand mixer) beat the butter at medium speed until it is smooth. Add the sugar and beat again for 2 minutes. Add the large egg and the yolk and beat for a couple more minutes. Add the vanilla and the almond extracts. Turn the mixer off and add the flour in increments, mixing only until it comes together. Frankly at this point, I just grab a big wooden spoon and mix the flour in by hand because my stand mixer leaves all kinds of dry bits at the bottom otherwise. Don't overmix the dough though, you don't want your cookies to be tough.
On wax paper, divide the dough in half. you can roll it out into discs for cutting cookies or, if you're like me and totally impatient with that kind of thing, just roll it into a tube shape so it looks like refrigerated cookie dough you can buy at the store. Let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours then you can cut into shapes or slice and bake. Your choice!
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 8-12 minutes (depending on your oven) until they are done. The tops should not change color. They should still look pale when done.
Please make these and let me know what you think. The original recipe called for unsalted butter and 1 tsp of vanilla, no almond extract. I for one, love the combination of sugar and sweet hence the reason I used salted butter. Oh, and I didn't have any unsalted butter in the fridge. :)
Make these cookies ASAP!!!
Monday, December 8, 2008
French Onion Soup, Meatballs and a Kitchen Assistant
Yesterday, I spent almost the whole day in the kitchen. Well, not the whole day but several hours at least. That was not my intention when I woke up but it just ended up that way. It began around lunchtime when I was really hungry but just didn't want a PB&J or a hot dog so I decided to make something for myself. I didn't want to make a whole meal or anything so soup seemed like the logical choice. Since my fridge was pretty bare of any ingredients, I strode over to the pantry to see what was there and I settled on making French Onion Soup. Man, it was GOOD! If you'd like the recipe, click HERE.
As previously stated, my fridge was bare as was my pantry so I was scrambling to put together the ingredients necessary to make the soup. I had onions, beef broth, thyme, flour, butter, bread and cheese and once I put them all together, this is was I got:
It was surprisingly good considering there wasn't a recipe to follow and the ingredients were thrown together in a moment. The only thing I wasn't completely wild about was the bread I used for the top but my choices were pretty limited. A slice of a baguette would have been much, much better but I used what was on hand, Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Farmhouse Style White Bread. It was put in a 400 degree oven for about 10 mins, until dry and toasted and it worked out ok but it was definitely the weakest part of the soup. If you can't dowload the document at the link above, here is the recipe:
French Onion Soup in a Pinch
Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 small yellow onions
ground thyme, 2 tsp
2 Tbs flour
3 cups of broth (beef or a combo of beef and chicken)
thyme leaves, dried 1 tsp
cream or milk 1/4 cup
dry sherry
2 pieces of hearty bread
cheese of your choosing (swiss, mozz, parm)
Take your two yellow onions and cut them in half. Peel off the outer paper and skin then cut them into half rings. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat along with the olive oil. Once it is bubbling, add the onions, salt, pepper, and ground thyme and cook until caramelized but not scorched. Stir constantly to keep them from burning.
Once the onions are ready, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and then taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add the dried thyme leaves and the cream and stir in 1-2 Tbs of dry sherry. Turn heat to low.
While this is cooking, spray two pieces of bread with Pam and place on a cookie sheet in a 400-degree oven until very toasted and dry. Then, put soup in ovenproof bowls, top each with one slice of bread and then sprinkle the top with either swiss, parmesan, or mozz cheese. I used shredded mozz. Put under the broiler or in 400 degree oven set to convection until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Sit down and eat. I hope you enjoy it!
After lunch, it was time for my next projects: mini hamburgers and meatballs. I wasn't wild with how these turned out so you won't see the recipe here but I ended up with 24 mini burgers and three jelly-roll pans of these:
Well, what the heck. I'll tell you how I made the meatballs and perhaps you can improve them or suggest something that might make them better next time.
Ingredients:
1 lbs ground italian sausage (mild)
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
garlic powder
onion powder
italian-style breadcumbs
salt
pepper
milk
I combined all the ingredients until moist then I pinched off a piece and rolled it into small-medium sized balls. These were placed on the pan and then cooked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. It seemed like they needed another layer of flavor or something, like more herbs. They were fine, just not "wow" for me. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave them!
Later in the day, while making the mini burgers, I called my sister for a quick minute. During the call, she told me that my niece was sad because my sister told her she couldn't come play with us. "She can come play!" I said. So, off I went to pick up my kitchen assistant. Though I didn't know it would work out like that at the time. :)
When we got back to my house, she wanted to help me in the kitchen. See, my sister cooks all the time and my niece, though only two, loves to get in there and help out. So we pulled up a stool and let her make her own creation. Look at this face:
Who could tell her no?
Somewhere in our house she found a mini rolling pin and she wanted to roll out my meatballs but that didn't seem like a good idea so I gave her a piece of bread.
She requested some cheese to put on top and then she proceeded to roll it out. Sort of. Then she pretended to make soup and let all of us taste it, including herself.
This is where a healthy relationship with food begins, by letting your children in the kitchen early. Allowing them to see where meals are created and giving them the freedom to experiment with things as well. It is one of the things I wish my mother had done with me and it is something my sister does all the time with her daughter. Wonderful!
I have to say, after being in the kitchen with all that meat cooking yesterday pretty much cured my interest in meatballs for quite some time. I'm glad I made a big batch because it certainly seems like a money saver to have so many on hand in the freezer but I think it will be a while before I eat any myself. LOL
Today, I'm making a standing rib roast for dinner so be sure to come back tomorrow for the scoop on that!
As previously stated, my fridge was bare as was my pantry so I was scrambling to put together the ingredients necessary to make the soup. I had onions, beef broth, thyme, flour, butter, bread and cheese and once I put them all together, this is was I got:
It was surprisingly good considering there wasn't a recipe to follow and the ingredients were thrown together in a moment. The only thing I wasn't completely wild about was the bread I used for the top but my choices were pretty limited. A slice of a baguette would have been much, much better but I used what was on hand, Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Farmhouse Style White Bread. It was put in a 400 degree oven for about 10 mins, until dry and toasted and it worked out ok but it was definitely the weakest part of the soup. If you can't dowload the document at the link above, here is the recipe:
French Onion Soup in a Pinch
Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 small yellow onions
ground thyme, 2 tsp
2 Tbs flour
3 cups of broth (beef or a combo of beef and chicken)
thyme leaves, dried 1 tsp
cream or milk 1/4 cup
dry sherry
2 pieces of hearty bread
cheese of your choosing (swiss, mozz, parm)
Take your two yellow onions and cut them in half. Peel off the outer paper and skin then cut them into half rings. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat along with the olive oil. Once it is bubbling, add the onions, salt, pepper, and ground thyme and cook until caramelized but not scorched. Stir constantly to keep them from burning.
Once the onions are ready, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and then taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add the dried thyme leaves and the cream and stir in 1-2 Tbs of dry sherry. Turn heat to low.
While this is cooking, spray two pieces of bread with Pam and place on a cookie sheet in a 400-degree oven until very toasted and dry. Then, put soup in ovenproof bowls, top each with one slice of bread and then sprinkle the top with either swiss, parmesan, or mozz cheese. I used shredded mozz. Put under the broiler or in 400 degree oven set to convection until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Sit down and eat. I hope you enjoy it!
After lunch, it was time for my next projects: mini hamburgers and meatballs. I wasn't wild with how these turned out so you won't see the recipe here but I ended up with 24 mini burgers and three jelly-roll pans of these:
Well, what the heck. I'll tell you how I made the meatballs and perhaps you can improve them or suggest something that might make them better next time.
Ingredients:
1 lbs ground italian sausage (mild)
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
garlic powder
onion powder
italian-style breadcumbs
salt
pepper
milk
I combined all the ingredients until moist then I pinched off a piece and rolled it into small-medium sized balls. These were placed on the pan and then cooked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. It seemed like they needed another layer of flavor or something, like more herbs. They were fine, just not "wow" for me. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave them!
Later in the day, while making the mini burgers, I called my sister for a quick minute. During the call, she told me that my niece was sad because my sister told her she couldn't come play with us. "She can come play!" I said. So, off I went to pick up my kitchen assistant. Though I didn't know it would work out like that at the time. :)
When we got back to my house, she wanted to help me in the kitchen. See, my sister cooks all the time and my niece, though only two, loves to get in there and help out. So we pulled up a stool and let her make her own creation. Look at this face:
Who could tell her no?
Somewhere in our house she found a mini rolling pin and she wanted to roll out my meatballs but that didn't seem like a good idea so I gave her a piece of bread.
She requested some cheese to put on top and then she proceeded to roll it out. Sort of. Then she pretended to make soup and let all of us taste it, including herself.
This is where a healthy relationship with food begins, by letting your children in the kitchen early. Allowing them to see where meals are created and giving them the freedom to experiment with things as well. It is one of the things I wish my mother had done with me and it is something my sister does all the time with her daughter. Wonderful!
I have to say, after being in the kitchen with all that meat cooking yesterday pretty much cured my interest in meatballs for quite some time. I'm glad I made a big batch because it certainly seems like a money saver to have so many on hand in the freezer but I think it will be a while before I eat any myself. LOL
Today, I'm making a standing rib roast for dinner so be sure to come back tomorrow for the scoop on that!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
What's Going On
Well, it has been a pretty crazy few weeks. After my dietary psychotic self left that incredibly desperate post, I had a change of heart and decided to stay with eating whole foods from all groups. Then, a week into November, I got bronchitis and laryngitis and am still suffering today though admittedly not like I was in the beginning. I survived the Thanksgiving holiday without gaining weight and feel like that is an acheivement of which to be proud. Now, it's on to Christmas. The extended holiday period that is laden with sweets, rich foods, and all kinds of wonderful temptations. I do feel prepared though to meet the challenge of eating well. Can't explain how that happened but a new sense of determination has settled over me and I feel good about things again. If you are currently or have ever battled with your weight, maybe you can identify with the schizophrenic feelings associated with trying to get a grip on the best course of action. At any rate, it feels like things are going well on that front.
Today, I sat down with my kids and we had a really long discussion about how we have been eating and what we need to do in order to make healthier decisions about the food we put into our bodies. They seem to live on the following:
I still need to find my own inspiration in the kitchen. It hasn't hit me yet and I've been yearning for it to do so. I've already planned our Christmas Day dinner that we eat with our extended family and I feel pretty underwhelmed by that but it is what it is. Sean and I decided that next year, we're switching things up and, instead of doing dinner with everyone, we're going to do a brunch on Christmas Day. So far, the only people struggling with that idea are my sister and her husband and they have said they may not make it next year. I will be seriously disappointed if that happens but, they have their own family and their own feelings about what is important for them and I can only respect the choice they make. It's not up to me to decide for anyone else. I think it's going to be fun though. Surprisingly, my mom is really excited about it. She was actually encouraging me to go ahead and make the change this year but I knew my sister would feel like that was too much of a curve ball so we've decided to hold off until next year. I don't want to cause any bad feelings right at the holiday, ya know?
I don't know if anyone still reads here, as slack as I have been about updating but, if you're out there, I would love to know the answer to this question. What is your favorite cookbook or website related to cooking? I have a gazillion cookbooks sitting on the shelf and yet I cannot find anything in any of them that is inspiring me to get in the kitchen and create something delicious. What is the best book on your shelf? What is your favorite recipe? I have several books by the barefoot Contessa and find things I like in all of them but I want to try something new. Any suggestions made will be greatly appreciated!!
Here is a picture of the last meal I ate before I got bronchitis and wished I would fall off the face of the earth:
It was a petite sirloin, bacon and onion potato gratin and sauteed green beans. The steak was awful. Of course, I bought it at walmart so I don't know why I expected it to be any different. Everything else was delicious though. Especially the potato gratin. It was my first time making one and it was sooooo good!! And easy, too.
Anyway, I've rambled on long enough but I am really looking forward to seeing some cookbook suggestions. And hopeful that someone still reads here enough to make said suggestions. LOL
Today, I sat down with my kids and we had a really long discussion about how we have been eating and what we need to do in order to make healthier decisions about the food we put into our bodies. They seem to live on the following:
- nitrate-free hot dogs
- chicken nuggets
- spaghetti (whole wheat)
- broccoli
- peanut butter and honey sandwiches on whole wheat
- homemade cheeseburgers
- grapes
- apples
- corn
I still need to find my own inspiration in the kitchen. It hasn't hit me yet and I've been yearning for it to do so. I've already planned our Christmas Day dinner that we eat with our extended family and I feel pretty underwhelmed by that but it is what it is. Sean and I decided that next year, we're switching things up and, instead of doing dinner with everyone, we're going to do a brunch on Christmas Day. So far, the only people struggling with that idea are my sister and her husband and they have said they may not make it next year. I will be seriously disappointed if that happens but, they have their own family and their own feelings about what is important for them and I can only respect the choice they make. It's not up to me to decide for anyone else. I think it's going to be fun though. Surprisingly, my mom is really excited about it. She was actually encouraging me to go ahead and make the change this year but I knew my sister would feel like that was too much of a curve ball so we've decided to hold off until next year. I don't want to cause any bad feelings right at the holiday, ya know?
I don't know if anyone still reads here, as slack as I have been about updating but, if you're out there, I would love to know the answer to this question. What is your favorite cookbook or website related to cooking? I have a gazillion cookbooks sitting on the shelf and yet I cannot find anything in any of them that is inspiring me to get in the kitchen and create something delicious. What is the best book on your shelf? What is your favorite recipe? I have several books by the barefoot Contessa and find things I like in all of them but I want to try something new. Any suggestions made will be greatly appreciated!!
Here is a picture of the last meal I ate before I got bronchitis and wished I would fall off the face of the earth:
It was a petite sirloin, bacon and onion potato gratin and sauteed green beans. The steak was awful. Of course, I bought it at walmart so I don't know why I expected it to be any different. Everything else was delicious though. Especially the potato gratin. It was my first time making one and it was sooooo good!! And easy, too.
Anyway, I've rambled on long enough but I am really looking forward to seeing some cookbook suggestions. And hopeful that someone still reads here enough to make said suggestions. LOL
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I'm so lost
I don't even know where to begin. At the beginning you say? Fine, except I really don't know where that is. My weight is such an issue. I'm depressed and loathe seeing myself in the mirror or, god-forbid, a photograph. I feel....desperate...lost...confused. I have tried so many things over the years and the only one to give me the best success was eating low carb. See, my struggle with weight is much like an alcoholic's struggle with the bottle. I can say this because my mother is an alcoholic and I've witnessed first-hand her battle to quit harming herself with booze. It's tough and, while I do not drink, I do eat. My self-medication is food and I will use it and abuse it like nobody's business. Now though, I'm actually afraid. I'm afraid that my health is going to get to a place of no return and I will die at an early age. It would be devastating for my boys to lose their mother so now is the time for me to get my shit together. Even though Thanksgiving, with all it's glorious, carb-laden side dishes is right around the corner I have to do something. Even though Christmas, with it's stocking's full of chocolate bounty, is only a short time away, I have to do something. I am unable to do a modified portion size lifestyle. That just doesn't work for me. I have to go back to doing low carb.
This time, low carb eating is going to be different. I'm going to do it differently in the respect that I'm not going to eat a bunch of fake foods to replace the ones I'm omitting. I will only use artificial sweetners in my tea or in a sauce if need be and I'm not going to eat a bunch of candy full of sugar alcohols. Believe me when I say this alone will make my family happy. My low carb days were some of the gassiest in history, all because of sugar alcohols. TMI. Sorry.
I will continue to document my journey and hope you will continue to join me. This site is about food and eating, too, and even though I'm cutting out flour-based meals and desserts, I'm still going to get my delicious grub on.
Now, I'm off to make up a meal plan for the upcoming week. I have roasted red pepper soup on my mind and may have to whip up a batch!!!
This time, low carb eating is going to be different. I'm going to do it differently in the respect that I'm not going to eat a bunch of fake foods to replace the ones I'm omitting. I will only use artificial sweetners in my tea or in a sauce if need be and I'm not going to eat a bunch of candy full of sugar alcohols. Believe me when I say this alone will make my family happy. My low carb days were some of the gassiest in history, all because of sugar alcohols. TMI. Sorry.
I will continue to document my journey and hope you will continue to join me. This site is about food and eating, too, and even though I'm cutting out flour-based meals and desserts, I'm still going to get my delicious grub on.
Now, I'm off to make up a meal plan for the upcoming week. I have roasted red pepper soup on my mind and may have to whip up a batch!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
