With so many things going on right now, this blog has really fallen to the wayside. I'm officially taking a break from keeping this site current but hope to get a handle on things in a month or two.
Thanks to everyone who has been a reader here and I hope to see you here again one day. If you're interested in keeping up with me, you can visit me at my other blog HERE. It has to do with family so I update that one a lot.
Take care!
Evie
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Quickly Checking in!
So Wednesday was a crappy eating day. I skipped breakfast altogether because I woke up late and had to get the boys to a dental appointment. After that, I came home and had an egg salad sandwich for lunch and a chocolate chip cookie. Dinner was pitiful. Sean didn't get home until really late so I just popped a bag of popcorn and watched the CSI Miami marathon on A&EHD. It's the cheesiest show. Ever. But I'm so addicted to it, it's ridiculous!
Thursday was a little better. I had two biscuits for breakfast along with a cup of tea. For lunch I had another egg salad sandwich and for dinner well, I can't remember dinner. I know I was proud of myself because this week I have done a great job of using what's in the fridge!
Friday morning, I woke up and had two biscuits and one egg and a cup of tea. At lunch, I made some homemade cream of mushroom soup and it was heavenly!! It's been really cold, dreary, and rainy around here and the soup seriously hit the spot. For dinner, it was leftover night. We still had meatloaf and mac and cheese in the fridge and I had some brussel sprouts that I needed to use. I ended up letting Sean have the meatloaf and mac and cheese and I ate a huge portion of the brussel sprouts. It was delicious!!
Sorry for not keeping up with things for a few days. I'm going to weigh myself on Monday and am hoping to see a 1lb loss. Keep your fingers crossed!
Thursday was a little better. I had two biscuits for breakfast along with a cup of tea. For lunch I had another egg salad sandwich and for dinner well, I can't remember dinner. I know I was proud of myself because this week I have done a great job of using what's in the fridge!
Friday morning, I woke up and had two biscuits and one egg and a cup of tea. At lunch, I made some homemade cream of mushroom soup and it was heavenly!! It's been really cold, dreary, and rainy around here and the soup seriously hit the spot. For dinner, it was leftover night. We still had meatloaf and mac and cheese in the fridge and I had some brussel sprouts that I needed to use. I ended up letting Sean have the meatloaf and mac and cheese and I ate a huge portion of the brussel sprouts. It was delicious!!
Sorry for not keeping up with things for a few days. I'm going to weigh myself on Monday and am hoping to see a 1lb loss. Keep your fingers crossed!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Meatloaf, Beatloaf, I hate meatloaf...not really
Recognize that Meatloaf line anyone? It's from one of my favorite movies of all time. Can you guess it?
Yesterday was another good eats day for me! Yaaaay! I got up and had biscuits again for breakfast and then I had shrimp and grits leftovers for lunch. You know, in my post yesterday, I mentioned that I had fixed the grits with chicken broth instead of milk or cream combined with water and for me personally, I have to say that the milk version is my preference. You try it both ways and let me know which way you think is best.
I snacked on two or three chocolate chip cookies yesterday but that was it as far as snacks went. My sister called yesterday afternoon and we took all the kids down to the park for a walk on the trail. We weren't walking at a breakneck speed but we were out for a while and we were moving and that's what was important.
In a direct response to increasing grocery prices I have been trying to figure out how to better plan our meals so I can utilize the food we buy in the most efficient way possible. A couple of nights ago, I made a big batch of Baked Macaroni and Cheese and froze half of it for another time. Last night, I took the remainder, freshened it up a bit with a couple of splashes of milk and a little more cheese and popped it into the oven with delicious results.
With that I was serving a Turkey Meatloaf. I love Meatloaf and so does my husband and nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing him enjoy my cooking. I took about a pound and a half of ground turkey and mixed in some chopped peppers and onions, one beaten egg, a Tbs of dijon mustard, a Tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of salt, freshly ground pepper, and a half a cup of bread crumbs. Oh yeah! A generous sprinkle of dried parsley, too! Formed it into a loaf and popped it into a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I drizzled some ketchup on the top and cooked it for about 20 more minutes. It was pretty good!!
Going along with my goal to cook at least one new recipe a week, I prepared a vegetable that I had never worked with before, broccolini. My sister has sung the praises of this veggie many, many times but I have just never bought it. After last night, it may well become a staple around here. It was freaking delicious! First, I trimmed some of the leaves off the long stalks but I actually think you could skip this. Then, after asking my sister about it, I blanched them for a couple of minutes to make them a little tender before sauteeing them in a skillet with 2 tsps of olive oil, a touch of butter and one clove of garlic put through a press. I think next time I would steam the broccolini instead of submerging it in water but oh. my. god. It was FABULOUS!
For my plate, I had small portions of each and couldn't eat it all. It was a delicious filling meal.
I'm feeling so good about where I am right now but I'm trying not to get too confident. Usually about the time that happens, I flub it up.
Have you ever had broccolini? What is your favorite vegetable?
Yesterday was another good eats day for me! Yaaaay! I got up and had biscuits again for breakfast and then I had shrimp and grits leftovers for lunch. You know, in my post yesterday, I mentioned that I had fixed the grits with chicken broth instead of milk or cream combined with water and for me personally, I have to say that the milk version is my preference. You try it both ways and let me know which way you think is best.
I snacked on two or three chocolate chip cookies yesterday but that was it as far as snacks went. My sister called yesterday afternoon and we took all the kids down to the park for a walk on the trail. We weren't walking at a breakneck speed but we were out for a while and we were moving and that's what was important.
In a direct response to increasing grocery prices I have been trying to figure out how to better plan our meals so I can utilize the food we buy in the most efficient way possible. A couple of nights ago, I made a big batch of Baked Macaroni and Cheese and froze half of it for another time. Last night, I took the remainder, freshened it up a bit with a couple of splashes of milk and a little more cheese and popped it into the oven with delicious results.
With that I was serving a Turkey Meatloaf. I love Meatloaf and so does my husband and nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing him enjoy my cooking. I took about a pound and a half of ground turkey and mixed in some chopped peppers and onions, one beaten egg, a Tbs of dijon mustard, a Tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of salt, freshly ground pepper, and a half a cup of bread crumbs. Oh yeah! A generous sprinkle of dried parsley, too! Formed it into a loaf and popped it into a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I drizzled some ketchup on the top and cooked it for about 20 more minutes. It was pretty good!!
Going along with my goal to cook at least one new recipe a week, I prepared a vegetable that I had never worked with before, broccolini. My sister has sung the praises of this veggie many, many times but I have just never bought it. After last night, it may well become a staple around here. It was freaking delicious! First, I trimmed some of the leaves off the long stalks but I actually think you could skip this. Then, after asking my sister about it, I blanched them for a couple of minutes to make them a little tender before sauteeing them in a skillet with 2 tsps of olive oil, a touch of butter and one clove of garlic put through a press. I think next time I would steam the broccolini instead of submerging it in water but oh. my. god. It was FABULOUS!
For my plate, I had small portions of each and couldn't eat it all. It was a delicious filling meal.
I'm feeling so good about where I am right now but I'm trying not to get too confident. Usually about the time that happens, I flub it up.
Have you ever had broccolini? What is your favorite vegetable?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
A good day
Yesterday began fresh, as all days do, with the promise of good food and staying on course. While the kids were sleeping, I fixed myself a cup of tea and warmed up two of the biscuits I made the day before. After topping them with my favorites, butter and cherry preserves, I sat enjoyed and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the house before the day really got started.
Once the kids got up, we spent the morning hanging out, tidying up, keeping busy basically. When lunchtime rolled around I had planned to have an egg salad sandwich but decided on a salad instead. My favorite salad is one topped with chopped egg, bacon, and olives then drizzled with a bit of ranch dressing. Thankfully I had hard boiled eggs in the fridge. I don't know what it is but chopped egg is one of the yummiest things I think you can put on a salad.
This was really filling and really held me over until I had a snack later in the afternoon. Oh and what a snack it was!
One of my goals was to make homemade snacks and not buy any at the store. I bought a new cookbook while I was recovering from my surgery and was finally able to make something out of it! I chose chocolate chip cookies. They were so, so delicious! Thin, with crispy buttery edges and a chewy center. Oh man, they were good! The recipe made a ton of cookies, too.
For dinner, I made shrimp and grits, which you've seen me mention here before. This time though, I did something a little different. Instead of using a combination milk or cream with water to cook the grits, I used some homemade chicken broth that was in the freezer. I thought it would make the dish a little bit lighter. I used 4 cups of chicken broth and maybe a 1/2 cup of cream. That was the only thing I did different. It did change the taste but it was good, and the dish didn't feel as heavy as it usually does.
At the end of the day, I felt really good about how I did. The only thing I didn't accomplish yesterday was doing a workout video but that's ok. Baby steps. It's hard to make changes and if all I can do right now is change my eating habits then that's all I can do. trying to do too much can be overwhelming and self-defeating. Already, today feels like a good day. Like I'm in total control of myself and my emotions. It's a start!
Once the kids got up, we spent the morning hanging out, tidying up, keeping busy basically. When lunchtime rolled around I had planned to have an egg salad sandwich but decided on a salad instead. My favorite salad is one topped with chopped egg, bacon, and olives then drizzled with a bit of ranch dressing. Thankfully I had hard boiled eggs in the fridge. I don't know what it is but chopped egg is one of the yummiest things I think you can put on a salad.
This was really filling and really held me over until I had a snack later in the afternoon. Oh and what a snack it was!
One of my goals was to make homemade snacks and not buy any at the store. I bought a new cookbook while I was recovering from my surgery and was finally able to make something out of it! I chose chocolate chip cookies. They were so, so delicious! Thin, with crispy buttery edges and a chewy center. Oh man, they were good! The recipe made a ton of cookies, too.
For dinner, I made shrimp and grits, which you've seen me mention here before. This time though, I did something a little different. Instead of using a combination milk or cream with water to cook the grits, I used some homemade chicken broth that was in the freezer. I thought it would make the dish a little bit lighter. I used 4 cups of chicken broth and maybe a 1/2 cup of cream. That was the only thing I did different. It did change the taste but it was good, and the dish didn't feel as heavy as it usually does.
At the end of the day, I felt really good about how I did. The only thing I didn't accomplish yesterday was doing a workout video but that's ok. Baby steps. It's hard to make changes and if all I can do right now is change my eating habits then that's all I can do. trying to do too much can be overwhelming and self-defeating. Already, today feels like a good day. Like I'm in total control of myself and my emotions. It's a start!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Southern Evening
I was in desperate need of some comfort food. It's been a rough week, people. Somehow though I'm still here and tonight was all about eating some good southern cookin'. I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, being a southerner and all, but until tonight I have never eaten collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens. Nope. Not once. Seriously! I am a big fan now of cabbage and brussel sprouts so it seemed like the right time to try them.
In order to keep them true to their southern heritage, I followed a recipe that has you prepare them with ham hocks. Ok, y'all. I had never even seen a ham hock and I have to tell you - it freaked me out! This is what I saw when I opened the package:
YES! That is p-i-g hair on that thing. Hell, I didn't know what to do so I threw it in the pot anyway. I was freaked but not deterred. The ham hock had to simmer in 3 quarts of water for an hour, along with some salt and pepper. Once that time had passed, I added these:
I washed them really well because someone told me they are covered in grit, then I removed the thick stalk that runs down the center of each leaf. After that I chopped the leaves and then added them to the hairy ham hock water. Mmmmmm. Doesn't that sound good? Here is what the greens looked like after cooking for one hour:
A lot like spinach really. They were ok but I think they were a touch too salty. My fault because I forgot I was using a scaled down version of a recipe.
In addition to the greens, I also made biscuits today and let me tell you...they were unfreakingbelievably delicious. Best I have ever made in fact.
Let me tell you something. If you're going to make biscuits, do yourself a favor and get White Lily Self Rising Flour. It is by far the best flour to use for making biscuits and you will not regret buying it. Even if you have to order it online because you can't get it in your area, do it. They are amazing! I snuggled them close to one another in the pan which helped them rise a little. God, I can't wait for breakfast so I can have one with some butter and cherry preserves!
Okay, I'm calm now. I didn't take a picture of dinner because, frankly it was very unattractive. I sauteed some chicken, cooked a Paula Deen version of Mac and Cheese, and ate some of the collards. Not exactly what I was going for but it was ok. We'll have leftover mac and cheese tomorrow along with a turkey meatloaf I'm going to make.
Have you ever fixed greens? If so, how did you do it? Did you use a hairy ham hock, too? LOL I have to know!!!
In order to keep them true to their southern heritage, I followed a recipe that has you prepare them with ham hocks. Ok, y'all. I had never even seen a ham hock and I have to tell you - it freaked me out! This is what I saw when I opened the package:
YES! That is p-i-g hair on that thing. Hell, I didn't know what to do so I threw it in the pot anyway. I was freaked but not deterred. The ham hock had to simmer in 3 quarts of water for an hour, along with some salt and pepper. Once that time had passed, I added these:
I washed them really well because someone told me they are covered in grit, then I removed the thick stalk that runs down the center of each leaf. After that I chopped the leaves and then added them to the hairy ham hock water. Mmmmmm. Doesn't that sound good? Here is what the greens looked like after cooking for one hour:
A lot like spinach really. They were ok but I think they were a touch too salty. My fault because I forgot I was using a scaled down version of a recipe.
In addition to the greens, I also made biscuits today and let me tell you...they were unfreakingbelievably delicious. Best I have ever made in fact.
Let me tell you something. If you're going to make biscuits, do yourself a favor and get White Lily Self Rising Flour. It is by far the best flour to use for making biscuits and you will not regret buying it. Even if you have to order it online because you can't get it in your area, do it. They are amazing! I snuggled them close to one another in the pan which helped them rise a little. God, I can't wait for breakfast so I can have one with some butter and cherry preserves!
Okay, I'm calm now. I didn't take a picture of dinner because, frankly it was very unattractive. I sauteed some chicken, cooked a Paula Deen version of Mac and Cheese, and ate some of the collards. Not exactly what I was going for but it was ok. We'll have leftover mac and cheese tomorrow along with a turkey meatloaf I'm going to make.
Have you ever fixed greens? If so, how did you do it? Did you use a hairy ham hock, too? LOL I have to know!!!
Mini goals
I have been doing a lot of thinking and soul-searching lately. After finding myself at the center of a family drama (which I had a hand in) I turned away completely from my dietary/lifestyle objectives. All I wanted to do was wallow in self-pity. Well, enough is enough. I'm done feeling bad because that doesn't serve any purpose at all. It's time to get a grip and start making some positive changes, even if they're only small ones for now. Here are my goals for the immediate future:
I have already taken some pictures of the cooking I've done this afternoon and am coming back tonight to record it here.
- This week, I am going to cook every meal my family eats. There won't be any fast food eaten by anyone in this house, except for Sean because he works outside of the home and I can't control that.
- I'm going to prepare homemade snacks for my family as well. At the grocery store today I didn't buy any chips or yucky snacky things and am planning to fix some goodies instead.
- This week, I'm going to start moving either by doing a workout video or going for a walk with the boys or both. My goal is to move my body in a directed fashion at least once a day.
- Each month I would like to lose 5 lbs. I think that is a reasonable goal to set.
- I am going to try at least one new recipe a week. Have already started that tonight by cooking collard greens.
- I am going to be gentle with myself. If I fall down in my task of mindful eating, I will not beat myself up over it. I will just do better the next go round.
I have already taken some pictures of the cooking I've done this afternoon and am coming back tonight to record it here.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Battling My Commitment
I have to be honest with you. The past two days haven't been fantastic. For some reason, I'm really fighting a battle within myself to get committed to eating right. On an academic level, I know that eating whole, unprocessed food is what's best for me and my family. But there is something holding me back from taking all the necessary steps to be successful at eating well. This morning I started out well with one egg and a cup of tea.
I ate it slowly and really enjoyed some quiet moments with my tea and a new book. It was truly delightful. A little while later, I walked into the kitchen and spied some cookies I'd made for the kids in the cookie jar. well, I felt like I HAD to have one. Errrr, two.
Hey! They were organic at least.
Then, at my sister's house later, I had a bit of the shepherd's pie she had made for dinner last night, which was delicious incidentally. After eating that, I felt certain that I would have no need for lunch. A little while later at home, I went into the kitchen and had some left over corned beef and cabbage.
Hmmmm. Just not doing so well. Nevermind this is the THIRD meal I've had from this! Yesterday morning I made my own corned beef hash.
Last night for dinner I had two slices of White Pizza from a local pizza joint.
I think part of the problem is I'm feeling a little down. My husband has taken on the challenge of getting his MBA. We already don't get to see him very much because he works long hours. Now when he's home, he's very, very busy and it's going to be like that for at least the next two years. I want him to get his MBA and I support him wholeheartedly. It's something he's wanted to do for a really long time. It's just a tough adjustment and we're still trying to hit our stride with it. In the meantime, I'm just finishing up my 6th week of recovery after my hysterectomy, and have a lot of work ahead of me once I'm cleared by the doctor to do it. It doesn't take much walking around my house to make me feel overwhelmed by the scale of the task at hand. Every single room is a mess! Sometimes I feel like putting our most precious things in the car, walking out the front door and never looking back! It's that bad. I know that by doing a little bit at a time it will get done but as I've seen with my weight loss attempts, knowing and doing are two different things.
Sorry that this post is such a downer but I'm just trying to keep it real and honest. Eating right is not hard but making up your mind and totally committing to it seems to be very difficult for me right now. I'm not giving up though. Just venting my frustration about my current lack of willpower.
I WILL be back tomorrow. This blog is a blessing! I don't know what I'd do without a place to vent.
I ate it slowly and really enjoyed some quiet moments with my tea and a new book. It was truly delightful. A little while later, I walked into the kitchen and spied some cookies I'd made for the kids in the cookie jar. well, I felt like I HAD to have one. Errrr, two.
Hey! They were organic at least.
Then, at my sister's house later, I had a bit of the shepherd's pie she had made for dinner last night, which was delicious incidentally. After eating that, I felt certain that I would have no need for lunch. A little while later at home, I went into the kitchen and had some left over corned beef and cabbage.
Hmmmm. Just not doing so well. Nevermind this is the THIRD meal I've had from this! Yesterday morning I made my own corned beef hash.
Last night for dinner I had two slices of White Pizza from a local pizza joint.
I think part of the problem is I'm feeling a little down. My husband has taken on the challenge of getting his MBA. We already don't get to see him very much because he works long hours. Now when he's home, he's very, very busy and it's going to be like that for at least the next two years. I want him to get his MBA and I support him wholeheartedly. It's something he's wanted to do for a really long time. It's just a tough adjustment and we're still trying to hit our stride with it. In the meantime, I'm just finishing up my 6th week of recovery after my hysterectomy, and have a lot of work ahead of me once I'm cleared by the doctor to do it. It doesn't take much walking around my house to make me feel overwhelmed by the scale of the task at hand. Every single room is a mess! Sometimes I feel like putting our most precious things in the car, walking out the front door and never looking back! It's that bad. I know that by doing a little bit at a time it will get done but as I've seen with my weight loss attempts, knowing and doing are two different things.
Sorry that this post is such a downer but I'm just trying to keep it real and honest. Eating right is not hard but making up your mind and totally committing to it seems to be very difficult for me right now. I'm not giving up though. Just venting my frustration about my current lack of willpower.
I WILL be back tomorrow. This blog is a blessing! I don't know what I'd do without a place to vent.
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