Portions. Doesn't Mean Belly Up to the Trough

basil / parsley from my garden

When it comes to weight there are things you can and cannot control.

You cannot control genetics, but you can work with what you were given. Easier said than done at times, but doable.  Portion size is the one thing you can control and should control coupled with some sort of daily exercise. In order to be happy with your physical self, start being honest with your mental self.

You don't have to go as far as making a list, but if it will help you why not.  Write down what you like and needs work regarding your physical self?  Add to each needs work item what is preventing you from changing. Really think about what you can you live with and what sends you crying into your pillow at night (not really, but you know what I mean). Ask yourself what food means to you. Make sure you listen to your inner voice, it's usually right. 

Another biggie, get organized!  It really does matter and it is so important to maintaining and/or creating a healthy lifestyle. Try to balance the following: food, sleep, exercise and play time! 

I am blessed with good genes.  My mom and dad were both petite with high metabolisms. I have really never had to worry about my weight, but I have been over/under weight by +/- 10lbs at various points in my life.  And because I am petite, an extra 10 lbs really shows, and not in a good way. My downfall is the appearance of cellulite on my upper thighs, not pretty and because my body is aging I am losing muscle mass.  I do not look nearly as toned as I maybe once did. So, my focus is on overall health and toning, so I don't sag like an old bag.

Food to me means together time.  Growing up my mom made dinner from scratch every night or at least most nights. The table was set, pitcher of milk poured and we all sat down to a home cooked meal. Mealtime was fun at our house. We talked, we ate, we laughed and on many occasions milk or orange juice would  come streaming out of a nose or two.  Gross, funny and at times, painful.  We ate healthy, in moderation and played outside all day. We cooked and baked from scratch, snacked on pop corn, rarely ate chips and soda / pop was off limits except on pizza night. I'm talking a glass of soda once a month or so, never daily. 

Food also means to me comfort. When I have a frig full of food, I feel like I have come along way. Sounds silly I know.  When I am sad, stressed, or want to put something off,  I eat. It's like an endless shovel feeding my pie hole 24/7.  Not really, but some days it feels that way.  So, I deal with whatever is going on in my Helish life and limit the junk food in my cupboards to about  zilch.  My biggest saviour is not over buying and I rarely buy junk food for myself. That is not to say I don't bake like a fool, because I do. I portion and freeze or give a lot of it away.  If I want to snack, I try to grab a granny smith apple with peanut butter. I get the sugar from the peanut butter (and apple), mixing tart and sweet and I love the crunch. It's refreshing and it satisfies me! So find a 80/20 or 90/10 (healthy v not so healthy) snack food that satisfies you! Not five cookies and a bag of chips and a can of soda!

A huge downfall for me is my lack of will power when it comes to eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce, sauce in general and limting the salad dressing. I used to pour half a bottle of heavy, creamy salad dressing on my salad but now the thought just gags me. I still pour half a bottle of salad dressing on my salad it's just oily now.  I'm a work in progress as we all are and I take it day by day.  I just can't pour 1-2 tablespoons of salad dressing on my monster salad. I've tried and fail every time, but I have learned to limit my dressing. I also do not pour the dressing directly on my salad from the bottle anymore.  I pour it into a side container and gradually add or dip. It's a mental game that I'm winning.

More about salads. I consider lettuce a free food.  It's all the crap you put on top of it that makes your back side spread.  Salads are an endless opportunity. Create what you like. I like fresh and unsweetened dried fruit, an egg, olives, cucumber, raw nuts, a bit of onion (preferably purple), goat, fresh parmigiano or feta cheese, beans and sometimes meat. Not all on the same salad, but you get the idea.  You create what you like. Try to limit your dried fruit, cheese topping to 1/4 cup each.  I really don't know one person that eats too many fruits and veggies so, load up. Understand fruit contains fructose (sugar), so more veggies may be better for some people. Oh, the dressing dilemma. Lightly coat it, avoid the tidal wave. Cheese, if cheese is the main ingredient in your salad that would be too much. Sprinkle sparingly, but enough to avoid not feeling satisfied.  Beans or a meat about 1/2 cup each is plenty. Fiber, vitamins, fat is what a salad is, go eat one.

More on portions tomorrow. Baby steps!

What to Eat or Not

Do we really need to be told daily what to eat?  What's healthy, what's not.  Don't most of us know? Seriously. Everyday I read, watch or hear a story about what food is good, bad and/or evil.  It's borderline insulting. 

Most adults know what is healthy or not to eat.  If it's dripping in sauce or butter, I would venture to say most of us know not to over indulge. Have a piece of cake, not the entire cake. Have a glass of wine, not the bottle, easier said than done. Portion control is a whole different story, but don't most people over the age of, let's say seven, know what is basically healthy and to limit quantity. Have one lean burger with cheese, piled high with your favorite veggies, not two and a double fry and large soda. Let me just say right now, don't drink soda / pop.

If you suck at budgeting your time, and are forced to eat out, try to make good, healthy choices. Yes, it's hard, but it's harder to drop the extra weight you will put on.  I love to eat out and if I am starving, I will not even open the menu. Why would I want to tease myself like that.  I'm already starving, most likely a bit sleepy, irritated and craving carbs.  I don't need the baked goods, buttered salmon and sauced beans staring back at me, taunting me. (and) I don't want to the complimentary half dozen slices of warm, fresh bread with sweet butter either. Well I do, but just bring me one slice because I will eat all six and lick the butter cup.

Our public food service industry (schools: K-college; cafeterias, restaurants) don't make our lives any easier by not offering the best menu choices.  So you have to be bigger, as in control, not waistline and make your best effort to not overindulge.  If your above the age three, which you are because you are reading this, I am certain you understand overindulging: eating till you're so full you feel sick.

I'll post tomorrow about portion control because that my phat friends is key.

Butterfly or Moth?

  

Norwegian Salmon in July

Broiled Norwegian Salmon served on a bed of basil. On the side, cucumber, tomato salad with dill dressing, all from the garden.  2 servings.

This dinner was created based off a Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa recipe: Grilled Salmon Sandwiches.

The Norwegian Salmon with skin on is topped with lemon pepper seasoning, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Broil at 325 for 5 minutes per side. Remove skin prior to serving.


Dill dressing - enough for 2 servings: 2 tablespoons good mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or fat free Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar, 1tablespoon chopped fresh dill, 2 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons, 1/4tsp freshly ground pepper, dash of sea salt. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk till combined.

While the salmon is resting, make the Cucumber - Tomato Salad with dill dressing, which i might add is simply fantastic! Thinly slice half of an ice cold cucumber, roughly chop a sun kissed tomato set aside.

Other ingredients: 5 basil leaves, 2-3 sprigs of parsley.

Now you are ready to assemble the plates, place salmon on a bed of five washed basil leaves. Mound half of the cucumbers on the side, top with half of the chopped tomato and drizzle on the dressing. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Yum!

Tuna fish lunch

In going with my keep it simple stupid...
I bought a ridiculously priced can of tuna the other day. The can of tuna contained nothing more than the fish itself, which was oddly pressed into the can, and sea water. No added salt, oil or preservatives.  Nothing artificial in this can of tuna and guaranteed to have less mercury.  The price -  $4.99 a can. I stared at the can of tuna for what seemed like hours. I think the store manager thought I was trying to decide if I should steal it or buy it. I walked away from it only to hear the damn thing calling my name from across the store. I returned to the tuna screaming shopping aisle, picked up the can of tuna, tossed it into my cart and decided I had spent more on a restaurant sandwich or a cup a coffee. Not to mention the time I had just wasted debating. What's the big deal?

The big deal is $4.99 is a lot of money for a can of tuna. When I think tuna, I think budget, watching my pennies. In this case, watching my pennies disappear.

I am hear to tell you that that ridiculously priced can of tuna with less mercury (like I have a lab in my house to test it) was good. After I got over the molded appearance, and wiped off the good for you omega fatty acids, I took a fork to the odd shaped mess and found a nice surprise hiding within.  The tuna was pink, chunky but also flaky and did not smell fishy at all. I placed my $4.99 tuna in a bowl, added a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, a bit of lemon zest, and a dollop of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise.  Nut bread, fresh tomato and assorted greens equaled lunch.

Would I buy it again? Probably not because half the "good for you claims" are false and the price tag is robbery. I'd rather buy fresh tuna on sale for a few bucks more. 

Pizza

I'm going through a phase right now. A pizza phase.  I'm not really into traditional style pizza, you know, one smothered in red sauce and mounds of cheese.  Instead I've have a taste for non-traditional, fresh ingredients. I'm putting my motto to use too, keeping my new love for pizza simple.

Lately I have been shopping at Heinen's. I like the store. The store is clean and organized and the bonus kicker - the people are SO bleeping friendly. Just like Trader Joe's, but much closer to my home. I also shop at Kreiger's. It's a little neighborhood store that finally got a face lift and is now popular because of the buy local push.  The bad thing is their prices have sky rocketed.

One draw back for me is the meat case at Heinen's. It's hard not to pass because it sits in the center of the store like a small island.  I'm not really into meat, but I do eat it about once a month. I just don't like to look at raw meat, let alone a case of it. Touching it with my bare hand is out of the question, I have to wear gloves and I definitely can not think about what I am eating when I am eating it. If I see a vein or blood on the bone, I'm done.  I find myself turning my head away when I pass the meat counter, ignoring the cute butcher boy. Such a shame and a waste because he really is cute. Why couldn't he have been the produce manager or wine guy? Seriously. All right, enough about me and the lack of meat in my life, we're moving onto pizza. 

Pizza Pie Ingredients

Frozen whole wheat pizza dough that I bought at Heinen's. I will post the name of the dough I used, I just threw away the bag like a goof.  I prepared the dough as directed.
1 frozen whole wheat pizza dough, thawed
1-2 cups garden fresh broccoli
1 medium shallot
1-2 cups fresh mushrooms
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon pepper spice blend
Parmigiano Reggiano

Wash broccoli  before you cut it and separate into bite size florets. Do not cut up and then wash broccoli, if you do you are actually washing away the nutrients; seriously, no kidding. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel, do not soak in water, then slice. Wash and slice shallot.

Follow package directions on preparing dough. Roll out dough. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil on dough,  Using finger tips, spread olive oil evenly onto pizza dough surface. Top with fresh vegetables. Sprinkle assembled pizza with about 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper spice blend and freshly grated parmigiano. Bake on lower rack of a convection over, 325 for 25-30 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Slice and enjoy with a glass of wine.

I ate half of this pizza in one sitting. The whole wheat crust was perfect! The shallots gave the pizza a nice garlicky onion flavour. The seasoning provided a sweet, sour, salty bonus. I liked this pizza and my new found frozen pizza dough so much I made another one using a white crust and topped it with 1-2 cups mushrooms, 1.5 cups washed and dried spinach, slivered almonds, dried blueberries, lemon pepper spice blend and extra virgin olive oil.  Add more or less ingredients to suit your taste.

Make sure to really dry the spinach and mushrooms to avoid a wet crust. Next time I would toast the almonds prior, and top per serving after. The almonds absorbed the moisture of the other ingredients while cooking, and I noticed they were a bit soft as I dove into the leftovers the next day. The refrigeration left them blah and damp.

My review of my own cooking is this:  I preferred the wheat crust pizza and toppings over the white crust pizza. The almonds subtracted from the experience, and I should have baked the white crust pizza a bit longer to dry out the ingredients a bit more. Both were good, but the wheat crust pizza was delicious.

Here's to moderation, ciao!

Motto

Lately I have been trying to simplify and focus. As in everything. Keeping things simple and on track. So I decided to adopt the three simple words "keep things simple" into my daily motto.  I added a kicker at the end to reinforce the fact that I am not dealing with rocket science here and I'm wasting more energy and time by over thinking, over doing, over stressing, and trying to please, please, please and make my imperfect world perfect.  I now tell myself daily or many times a day to "Keep it simple stupid". The last word offers a bit of insult, putting my passive aggressive nature to good use.

I'm going to try, really try, to keep it simple in everything I do. Working out, relationships, work, food. If I can stay focused and keep everything simple, limited, and in check not buying into the emotional bullsmack how can I not succeed?  If I can pull this motto off and apply it long term - I'll be so bleeping happy!

I've decided no shopping and buying crap just because I am bored or depressed or don't feel like doing what I really should be doing. In short that means lifting my fat ass off the sofa.  If I don't need something, I'm not going to buy it just to have it. If I already have it, but don't use it, I'm going to sell or donate it, but I'm not going to get rid of it only to re-buy it later. That would just be stupid and history would just be repeating itself for me. At least I'm acknowledging my fault, writing it down and admitting it to the world. That has to be part of some twelve step program!  There is nothing worse and it drives me completely nuts when a  friend (OK, I've been known to do this too) will declare how she cleaned like crazy, filled 50 trash bags of crap to cart off to the curb or donate only to shop, shop, shop days later for the same junk. I must add that most of the stuff that filled those 50 + bags was her husbands or kids, which resulted in much crying and insult. I'm all about getting rid of the old and useless (items) for a little bit of fresh and new, but with limits.  

So wish me luck on embracing my new motto. I just may crack if it doesn't take hold.

If Tomorrow Never Comes

What if tomorrow never comes. Are you satisfied with your life today?  

Lunch Doesn't Have to be Pretty, It's Purpose is to Make You Pretty!

Some people eat to live and some people live to eat. I am a mixture of both and a firm believer in if you eat bad you'll look bad, if you eat well you'll look swell! 
I get to excited when I prepare or someone serves me a fancy meal. I just love food and the "OOhhhhs, Ahhhhhs" that go along with it. Have you ever tried something that looks delicious but tastes the exact opposite?  That happened to me once in a nutrition cooking class. A classmate made some sort of baked banana dish, it was God awful!
I like my lunches to be nutrient dense, economical, and quick so that I can sit down and relax a bit while I eat. So here's a few cheap, quick lunches that take about 5 minutes to make (except the soup).

                                        Oatmeal with lowfat or soy milk, and a pile of fresh fruit

Add a slice of whole wheat toast for scooping and dipping 

Albacore tuna with a dab of real mayo, on a corn tortillas

with organic mixed greens and organic strawberries

Potato-Cheese Pierogies with organic lima beans,

organic pear & wild blueberry sauce, and drizzle of

extra virgin olive oil  

Ham and Great Northern Bean soup with a

pureed vegetable base

I decided to make some soup one bitter cold winter day when I all I could do was walk around all tight with my shoulders up to my ears, freezing my bum off, not to mention I was starving!  I had some left over ham, a frig full of veggies and a can of Great Northern beans.

Ham and Great Northern Bean soup with a pureed vegetable base

1/2-1 C ham 

2 cups dried (soak, reserve liquid) or 1 can Great Northern Beans

1 fennel, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 sweet potato (you decide with or without skin)

1 onion (I  used a sweet onion, but whatever you have on hand is fine)

1 tsp of crushed garlic (more if you like)

1 bay leave (remove prior to pureeing mixture)

Dash of pepper

Parsley garnish or add when pureeing

Water

Drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Parmesan (optional)

In a medium size stock pot, add enough water (or use liquid from soaking beans) to cover vegetables. Boil vegetables until tender. Remove bay leave. Once tender, in one cup batches puree in a blender. NOTE: Hold lid down while pureeing, be careful of the stream / pressure when removing lid after blending. Transfer pureed vegetable into a holding bowl until all are pureed.  Once completely pureed, return pureed vegetables to stock pot, add beans and ham. Let simmer, stirring gently until sauce slightly thickens. If sauce thickens too much, add water to create desired consistency. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, and grated parmesan.

If you eat healthy, you'll look healthy. You  must exercise too, and try to get a little balance in your life. Sounds simple.

What's In - What's Out

What's In:  Love, Respect, and on the food side: Lemons.
What's Out:  Bad Manners, Lack of Respect, Fad Diets.

Lately I haven't been able to wrap my ahead around a lot of things: food-diet, family, friends and work.  So many changes, some good and some not so much, but through it all one thing should be a constant: Love. Before you start gagging, hear me out.  Being in love or knowing you are loved is powerful stuff.  Love has caused me some dark days and on the flip side it has helped me get through some very dark days.  Knowing someone is going to stick by you and always love you, well, nothing tops it and it shouldn't be taken for granite or lightly. It's a gift, respect it.

Yes, we have our moments when a person we love or have some type of relationship with, annoys us beyond our limits, but that's normal or at least I'm declaring it normal right now. The trick is how to deal with the annoyance factor without damaging the relationship.  Note to self: Try not to burn a bridge.  Believe me, it't not worth it. I am no expert, and I have lived my life through trial and error with many years of making wrong decisions and taking bad advice, but I am comfortable, finally, in my own skin.

Which brings me to respect. Why is it that we sometimes treat the people we love so badly, but bend over backwards for people who really don't deserve the time of day? What is that all about, and should it be tolerated?  Why do some take advantage of a loving relationship? Is it about not burning a bridge?  Maybe some bridges are meant to be burned, but always remember, just don't lose your self-respect in saving the bridge.  With a little luck, put a smile on your face and create the perfect opportunity to practice good manners without becoming a door mat or a sucker.

Respect what other people have to say, it's fine to agree that you disagree. One thing I hate and it happened to me the other day, an ex-coworker was forcing her opinion down my throat.  Anyone forcing an opinion on another is wrong, no matter what the topic.  That's a big no, no!

Fad diets are also a big no, no.  Come on people, you're smarter than that! Nothing is a quick fix, NOTHING!  That extra tire around your waist wasn't dropped off over night. It formed over time.  It's called a bad habit, laziness, or possibly medical.   Okay, for some of you it may be caused by your thyroid or some other condition, I'm  not going to pretend to know if the chicken or the egg came first.

Those fad diets are what I consider a lemon of a deal. Speaking of lemons make this, it's completely IN!






                                           Oven ready

                            My oven does good work, such a team player!

I found this recipe on the web. It's by "The Shed". 4-6 servings.

It really goes agains my organic, whole wheat this or that, but it's really good. Learn to love it, respect it all in moderation! It takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare.

Lemon Souffle
Bake at 350F
3/4 C sugar
1 T melted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2tsp salt
1 C milk (I used Nestle Carnation Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk + Vitamins A & D added)
6 eggs, separated (I used 5 yolks and 6 whites. Why, you ask?  One yolk had a red dot on it and grossed me out)
2 Lemons, zested and juiced
dab of butter for greasing baking dishes or dish
Mix together sugar, melted butter, flour, salt till smooth.  Add yolks, whisk till smooth. Add zest and lemon juice, whisk. In a mixer, beat egg whites until peaks are stiff. Fold the yolk mixture gently into the egg whites till combined.
Grease 6 souffle cups with butter. Instead of 6 souffle cups, I used a 8.5 x 8.5 glass baking dish. Pour the mixture into the cups.  Set the cups in 1/2" water in a 9 x 12 baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until tops have risen and turn golden bown.  Remove from bath, let cool or slightly cool and serve with raspberries (fresh or thawed) or your favorite fruit. Add a dusting of confectioners' sugar or a drizzle of burnt brown sugar and mint sprig if you want to jazz it up.

Refreshing delicious!

The Farian

Why do some people hate to wash their hands? I mean seriously, what's the big deal?

I had a dental appointment the other day, and I was not in the best of moods. He (now my ex-dentist) kind of annoys me to begin with. He's polite and all, but I find some of his habits and nonsense small talk really annoying. He just talks to talk. I don't think it's just me and my anal ways, I don't really care on this one if it is just me.

So, I'm having my teeth cleaned by the best dental hygienist and he pops in at the tail end of the cleaning to check her work. At least I think that was his intention. I could see him finishing up in the room across the hall, not sporting any gloves. I watch him finish up, shake the patient's hand and walk straight into my room.  He says a sporty hello as he plops onto his stool and slides on over to me. He offers me a soft (gross) handshake and says, "Open up, let's take a looksey."  I lift my head up so that he doesn't cram his ungloved hands into my mouth and ask him to please wash and glove his hands.  He's facial expression tells me he's floored. Instead, he slathers on a generous amount of Purell, looks at my x-rays, and asks when I want to get a few fillings replaced for cosmetic purposes only. That's it.  He gets up and walks into the next room and bills me for a consult.

You get my point.