I drove a Hard Bargain With myself

I made myself a to do list for the weekend that was a little crazy!  It was long.  It had some LARGE tasks on it.  It had some smaller tasks. It was a full list! and I was determined to tackle it and finish everything. 

I am a list maker.  Making a to do list each weekend.  Sometimes it's just basic reminders of "go to Petco to pick up cat food'.  Sometimes it includes the basic items on my to do.  Things like "scrub the kitchen floor".  But this past week my list didn't juts include those basic things. Furthermore, my list was quite extensive.   What was on my list?  Projects!  I set up a HUGE to do list and I was determined to see it through!

If you remember, a few days ago I wrote about how I want to streamline my life.  I want to start to purge the unnecessary.  I want to whittle down my list of unfinished projects.  I want my life to be simple and less overwhelming.   So when I made my to do list, I placed some large projects unfinished projects on there.  Sure I placed some of the normal stuff that just comes up in life.  Things like backing up my files to my external hard drive.  But I also  I placed one of those big projects that was nearing completion that I could hopefully finish.  I also placed some that were large but still only midway through the process but I set my own goal of where I wanted to be at the end of the weekend. !   I honestly started the weekend thinking it would be fantastic if I finished everything.  Then midway through the weekend I altered my thoughts a bit because I was like, "There is no way I will get even half the stuff on my list done."   But then  somehow, I started crossing off one after another item on my do do list!  

The big project:   I took on the task of mom's recipes after she passed away.  Every recipe we found in her house I brought home and scanned into the computer.  I had completed almost everything a while back.  I literally had a wee bag of items...probably about 50 recipes.  They were stuff that was found in random places and not her tried and true stuff, so it kept getting pushed to the back burner.   I placed this task on my to do list for the weekend.  I knew that if I finished those last recipes that the project would be complete!    And guess what?   It is DONE!   I completed this big project!   

The second big project that was on the list was one that kinda goes hand in hands with organizing mom's recipes.  From the beginning of this project, I had the idea to put a small book together with some of her tried and true recipes.  I worked on that this weekend and made some great headway.  I actually got as far as I could with that and I am at a standstill for the time being.     

The third project?  A while back I started a writing project that I am calling Tales of the Scales. On the two do list was to sit down and re read what I have.  For me, while I do read books I tend to like to read over things like this (for more editorial purposes) on paper. So I printed it up. Reading it with a pen in hand was on my list of things to do.  This is the thing that I thought was not going to get done!  However, Jason didn't feel well on Sunday so we had a quiet afternoon at home.  I sat there with my pen in hand and read!  SO while the complete project isn't done, I completed that step of the project! On to the next step!

I also spent some time in my office, purging a bit.  I purged until the big garbage can outside was full.  I also organized.  It is once again, not a completion to the purge project.....but it is definitely a step in the right direction!

I also had on my task list to complete one more point of my my lone star quilt.   This is the only big task that I didn't manage to complete this past weekend!  I'm disappointed with myself for not completing it.  And I kicked myself a bit because I did play mindless games on my phone for about 20 minutes and I should have been working on that.  But seriously, 20 minutes wasn't going to complete it!

That is one HALF of ONE point of my lone star!  After the yellow it tapes back down through the colors until it's back to one blue piece. 
 

I was a project busting machine this week!

So lessons learned this weekend.  It's amazing how much I can get done if I set down that stinkin' phone and stop playing mindless games or mindless scrolling!     And secondly, really working and completing that one  big  task and all those smaller steps of other projects made me feel so much better.  I feel more in control.  Crossing off those things on my list was a real booster for my spirits!

So what is up next?   I have a to do list for the work week. Even though it is only Monday, I am already working on it and crossing thing off.  As the week progresses, I will certainly be creating my weekend to do list also!  One project down.........on to tackle the next one!

I caved

I have been wanting one!  I have looked at peoples blogs.  I have watched videos.  I have been so wanting to get an air fryer!   I have heard that they are fabulous for cooking healthy meals! 

 My I have drooled over air fryers!  I wanted one bad!   I kept revisiting the idea in my mind!   But I kept resisting.   One main reason actually,  my kitchen is small! Where would I put it.  I already am constantly moving small appliances on a daily basis!! I can deal with the shuffling of small appliances...but my shelves that hold those small appliances are full.  What would I do?  Where would I put it!

Yet I kept getting inundated with air fryer praise!  Everyone talks about them!   I wanted!  But I kept resisting.  In my mind though I worked to come up with some ideas of how to magically create more storage in an already cramped apartment (story of my life!).

And then.....yes something happened.   We spent some time last weekend with Jason’s son and his fiancé (and his adorable granddaughter) and us girls started talking about cooking and kitchen gadgets.  She mentioned that she an air fryer!  My heart lurched as that desire to buy one roared back to life!  Of course I asked her what her thoughts were.  And she sang her praises!   She talked about cooking in it but she also talked about reheating food in it.  Really?  Hmmmm

Jason overheard the conversation!  He was hooked when he heard that  restaurant  french fries that you get through delivery/take out can be popped into the air fryer and they taste good!  Really?    Of course we started talking about it...and the pendulum swayed toward getting one.   

We talked all week long. And we did it!!!

We shopped around a bit.  We immediately discarded the cheapie $40 ones.  They felt flimsy and if I was really strapped for money I am sure they would be fine...but while I am watching my money (for my financial goals) I am ok spending a bit of money here and there.  I try to buy good quality when I can.  So it ended up being between the Ninja and the Power.  Jason had researched these a while back because I apparently almost got one as a gift a while back!  (He knows me well and knows that kitchen gadgets are a sure fire winner for a gift!!!)   We finally settled on the PowerXL.  We liked the fact racks versus the basket.  We also liked the rotisserie option.  So we did it!

It was $189.00 at Bed Bath and Beyond  but a 20% off coupon made it right around $120.     We were so excited to bring it home!

We quickly set it up and we were so excited to try to reheat some Cajun wings that we had picked up at a farmers market!  Ohhh they turned out well!  But what about fries???

On Sunday we grabbed dinner and uncharacteristically ordered French fries.   We had to try them!   And oh my word...it worked!!!  They reheated well!   They were not soggy!  They were crispy on the outside.  They were soft inside.  They were excellent!

This is going to be a fun new gadget!!!    I will be accounting out recipes and working on finding new healthy ways to use this air fryer.  But this weekend we learned that reheating in the air fryer is superior to anything else!!!

Crustless Strawberry Pie

 I absolutely adore strawberries!  I love them!  I don't know if I have ever gotten to the point of saying I've had enough!  They are delicious! It doesn't matter what format they come in either.  Strawberry shortcake?  Sign me up!   Strawberries with a little sugar?   I'm in!   Warm strawberries straight from the strawberry patch? OH my mouth is watering now!     But a few years ago I stumbled upon a recipe for a Crustless Strawberry Pie.  And I was intrigued!

The crust on a strawberry pie is what holds a lot of the calories!   So crustless sounds fabulous!  Do you know how many calories I can save.  And seriously, what strawberry lover hasn't scooped the delightful strawberries out of the pie and left the crust???? I made this recipe a few times and loved it.  But then promptly forgot about it.  I forgot about it for YEARS!  Until this summer when I stumbled upon this easy recipe!  I started making it a few weeks ago.  EVERY WEEK I make a  new one!   It is soooo delicious!  It's a perfect little touch of sweetness in the evenings after dinner.  It is full of fresh strawberries...and that is a win in my book for taste AND health!

Ohhh...and did I mention that this recipe is easy???   SUPER SIMPLE!!!!  Ok, your hooked now...so let me share the recipe!!!

Main Ingredients

1 large box of cook and serve vanilla pudding

1 large box of strawberry jello

1 pound strawberries

3 cups water

1 tbs Whipped topping

Recipe Steps

1. 1. Slice strawberries and layer them on the bottom of a 9x13 pan 
2. 2. Cook pudding as directed on package using water in place of the milk. 
3. 3. When pudding is boiling, add contents of the jello packet and mix thoroughly. 
4. 4. Pour the jello/pudding mixture over the strawberries. 
5. 5. Refrigerate until the jello/pudding mixture has set . 
6. 6. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping (optional)

Serves 8 Calories 117 Total Fat 0.2 g Total Carbs 28.1 g Dietary Fiber 2.4 Sugar 16.1 Cholesterol 0 Sodium 98.3 mg Protein 0.6 g

I'm telling you.  Crustless Strawberry Pie is the bomb!  It's easy to make. This is delicious.  Even better, the serving size  is a decent portion.  I  don't know about you...but I don't call a dessert 'healthy' just because it's only a half bite.  I want to actually have a nice serving of something that this dessert checks that box but still not break the bank in calories!!!!  This dessert does it all!!!!!!    If you try it, let me know what you think!

For a printable recipe, you can click this here.

Broccoli Chicken Rice Crockpot Casserole

 I love using my crock pot.  I somehow always seem to forget about it though!  But not this week!  This week we dined on the broccoli chicken rice crockpot casserole.  

This recipe is super easy.  It calls for a 

1pound of chicken (cut into bite size pieces)

5 cups of bite sized pieces of broccoli

 1 can cream of chicken soup

 1 can cream of celery soup

2 cups of rice

 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 

3-4 cups of chicken broth (I start with 3 and add more if it looks too dry as it is cooking)

Dump it all in the crockpot, put the crockpot on low and let it cook for 6 hours.  And Voila'  a delicious meal!!!!

For a printable recipe you can click here.

Broccoli Salad

A cool refreshing salad for the summer months

Broccoli Salad

In a large bowl combine:

6 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 can (8oz) sliced water chesnuts, drained

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup chopped red onion

 

In a small bowl whisk together

¾ cup mayo

¾ cup yogurt

1 ½ tsp cider vinegar

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Pour dressing/liquid over broccoli and toss to coat.

 

Just before serving sprinkle with ¼ cup slivered almonds (optional)

 

Serving Size ½ cup

Per serving (without the almonds)

Cal 51.8

Fat 0.5

Sat Fat 0.2

Poly Fat 0.1

Mono fat 0.1

Chol 0.9

Dietary Fiber 1.8

Sugars 5.6

Protein 2.6

 

Alternate versions:
Use raisins instead of cranberries

Different dressing

 1 cup miracle whip

1 tbs vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

Click here for a printable copy of this Broccoli Salad Recipe.

Summer Salad

One of our favorite dishes in the summer is this summer Salad.  It is filled with nutritious beans and is  healthy, light and very filling.

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can pinto beans , rinsed and drained

15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Rinsed and drained , rinsed and drained

15 oz bag frozen sweet corn kernels

small chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2-3 chopped bell peppers (different colors make it prettier but not necessary)

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl

THe Dressing

1 tbs ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

The juice of two limes

Whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together and pour over the vegetables.  This can be eaten immediately, but the taste will be enhanced after they sit and marinate together for a bit.

serves 10

Cal 245.4

total fat 6.5

chol 0

sodium 192.4

total carbs 39.6

fiber 11.4

Sugars 1.9

protein 10.6

Click here for  a printable recipe of this Summer Bean Salad.

Pumpkin Pasta in a Parmesan Garlic Sauce

We were walking through the grocery store when we saw the most interesting display of squash.  So many different kinds of squash! What did they all taste like?  How did you prepare them!  We took a chance and picked out a few different (new to us) varieties and we went home to research!  This recipe is the result of that grocery trip!   It is good and we have had made this a few times since that first time!

Pumpkin Pasta in a Creamy Parmesan Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

1 squash- kabocha works well

1 TVs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz pasta

1/12 cup fresh spinach leaves.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400°

2.  Cut the squash in half and remove seeds.  Peel the squash.  

3.  Cut the flesh of the squash into bite sized pieces.  Transfer to a baking dish.  

4.  Drizzle with olive oil and too with salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Roast squash at 400° for 40 minutes, stirring the squash after the first 25 minutes.

6.  Cook pasta as directed on the packaging.

7.  In a medium sauce pan add 1/12 cup heaving cream and garlic.  Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until slightly reduced.   

8.  Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to milk and garlic in sauce pan.  Stir.

9.  In a large bowl add cooked pasta, spinach, pumpkin/squash and garlic sauce.  Stir until well combined.

10.  Serve immediately.   Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

This recipe takes time.  It is not overly labor intensive...it just takes time to wait for your items to simmer and roast.  But the taste is well worth it!!!  

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  We have certainly enjoyed the taste in our kitchen!

For more recipes visit my recipe page!

Dehydrated Friday

I woke up thirstier than a camel.  I've been downing water like a mad woman.  My water mug/jug holds 54 ounces.  I've already had to refill it once (in fairness there is ice in it so I didn't drink 54 ounces already this morning upon editing this an hour or two later I've definitely chugged at least 54 ounces and it's not quite noon).   I'm however not surprised.  One glance at myfitnesspal makes it glaringly clear.  I ate food that was so  high in sodium that it's ridiculous.  Mexican Chicken soup is so tasty, but a bit high in sodium!    I don't usually watch sodium and I know that it will correct itself (with lots of water intake) so I'm not concerned. 

Today won't be much better.  My sodium intake for today is rather steep also.  (Probably because I'm having leftover Mexican Chicken Soup for lunch...and quite possibly dinner).   I tried a new recipe this morning.   I am calling it the Sausage Ring of fire.  OK, the "of fire" is my own addition, just because I'm a bit of a geek.  ~~giggling~~  OK OK OK, I'm simply calling it a Sausage Ring.  It is a bit too 'meaty' for me.  The meat flavor was to heavy for a gal that prefers to go meatless.  However, I thought it was still good.  Todd absolutely loved it.  He actually said it rivals his all time favorite breakfast.  So I guess I'll be making it again. 

Yesterday I didn't plan as well as I thought.  We ended up eating lunch really early, 10:30 AM.  That in itself is not an issue.  The issue is that I didn't plan on eating anything until dinner......which ended up not being until about 8:30.  Uhhhh in case you didn't catch that...  I went about 10 hours without any food to eat.  I realized my mistake at about 3 or 4 PM.  I scrounged around in my drawer at work and found a granola bar.  It was a bit old, but it tasted pretty good.  I was still hungry but that held me until my late dinner.  Of course I chowed down like a starving pig when I hit the dinner table.  GRRRRRR

 

I'm continuing to work on some other ways to reach out and 'be'.  One of them scares the living doo doo out of me because of how "OUT THERE" it really is.  I've written on this blog for years.  I've been transparently raw.   Some friends and family don't even know I have a blog.  Some people vaguely know I have a blog but have never shown any interest. (However, they could find me should they really look.)  I'm going to take a step that opens myself up even further and opens up this blog in a way that I'm not sure I'm totally ready for.....but my new plan is to live fearlessly.....so here goes nothing.  So there will be more on that soon!

 

Writing may be difficult today....I got a new computer here at work.  Joy of joy's, Word is not installed....uhhhhhh GREAT.  I guess I'll be focusing on adding calorie counts to my website!

 

 

Ho Hum kinda of day

Just because I don't have much to say, It doesn't mean I'm not 'workin' it'.   Yesterday I went out for a run!

My time wasn't the greatest.  I've said time and time  that I'm slow as molasses.  So really is there any way to go for me other than to get faster?   This time does include me walking for 5 minutes to warm up and about 5-7 minutes to cool down.   I also didn't run it straight.  I ran between 3-5 minutes and then walked a minute...repeatedly.  So my time includes the walking segments.  (maybe some day soon I will be able to afford a heart rate monitor...I'm looking at one for $150.  I want the one that has GPS, so I don't have to drain my battery life on my phone to run the GPS.   I think the heart rate monitor would also help me figure out some of my breathing issues.  Is my heart rate connected to this breathing issue thing......yesterday started out with choppy breathing but SOMEHOW I managed to pull it under control).

Eating I'm holding on.  Nothing out of control but nothing earth shatteringly good if that makes any sense. Steady with my calories.  Haven't seen much movement on the scales during my daily weigh ins.  But I'm OK with that. 

I'm trying to not focus on the bad.  I so want to just curl up and cry.  Things aren't changing in my life....well other than me.  I'm changing my lifestyle.  But financial and maritally things are stagnant and depressing as bat dung. (which is highly toxic, in case you wanted to know some trivia).  I don't know what to do for those things.  So I'm going to do all that I think I can do at this point.  I'm going to try to ignore them.  Continue to drown my sadness in focusing on my weight loss.  I've been saying that I want to start writing again.  I aim to do just that.  I'm re instituting my word count goal for each day. 1000 words a day.  I can do it! 

 

Meanwhile, I also want to update my recipe website.  I have been lazy about putting the calories onto the pages of late.  I haven't taken yummy photographs of meals.  I also have a TON of recipes that have to be entered into the website.  I want to get that updated.   I also want to go back and update my weight loss page and put in my weights as far back as I can pull the documentation for.  I'd like to see how fast I lost....where my other 'maintains' occurred.  Just for a side by side reference!  So I have lots of projects to complete!   

Crunchy apple French toast

I struggle with breakfast. I do not like eggs on there own. I do not eat beef or much pork. Cold cereal leaves me famished within an hour or two. So what to eat for breakfast. I get tired of the boring mundane pancakes, waffles and French toast. So the other day I came up with this....

Ingredients
4 slices of texas toast (the thick bread)
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup apple pie filling
1 cup cornflakes

1.  Crush cornflakes and lay on a shallow plate
2.  Break eggs into a bowl and add cinnamon.....beat together
3.  Lay out two pieces of bread and spread each with half of the apple pie filling.  Cover the pie filling with the other slices of bread, to create two sandwiches.
4.  Dip the apple sandwiches into the egg mixture and then immediately press them into the cornflakes.
5. Place on a griddle or grill and grill on both sides until they are golden brown.
update:  I actually prefer making this now with two regular slices of bread versus the thick texas toast style bread!  Saves calories and works better!

Per Serving: 271 calories
46 carbs
6 fat
10 protein