I finally made the leap. Back in November, I called a recruiter and signed on for a travel contract. I gave my two week notice at the hospital I've been staff at for almost three years and made the major plunge. I think I've been in shock ever since.
I finished up my first week the night before last and I have to say, everything is hugely different!
This Christmas I am actually home because I was not scheduled, so I drove home from Myrtle Beach and I am home with my family. It's quite nice! Happily scrolling online, looking for new recipes I came across the website Yummly. Love at first click! It is so easy to find recipes using key words, and it will be my new go-to from now on.
It is a requirement to sign out for a half-hour lunch here, unlike my staff job, so it is imperative to me to make things that are tasty and visually appealing. The snacky nurse is out of the window for at least the next 12 weeks, so flavor and satiety are a must! I'll still squirrel away a couple of nutritious fruits or cracker snacks to sneak here and there, but one main meal is really what I'll get.
This week I am looking at Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta for my lunch, and Chicken and White Bean Soup for my meal prior to leaving the house for the shift. I'm making heavy modifications to the recipe, swapping homemade turkey stock for the chicken, turkey meat (light and dark) from our Christmas turkey, and adding roasted mushrooms. Honestly, I just didn't like the idea of chicken twice in a day. The soup should make closer to 8 servings, so I'll split it to freeze half for later. Breakfast will be vanilla flavored zero fat Greek yogurt, using sugar free Torani syrup for the flavoring. My usual go-to of apples and tangerines will further soothe my sweet tooth, and wheat thins are available to salve salt cravings.
I've lucked out and found a place to stay with some friends while working this contract, so I have access to their kitchen, as well as my own fridge and cabinet to separate my grocery staples. That is a huge blessing! I don't have to clutter their fridge or worry about being short ingredients unless I've not bought them. I am still learning my way around, but there is a grocery store around the corner from the hospital, so I'll be shopping there often. It means I have to be on my toes and prepared with my shopping list.
I've not been keeping up with WW, but I am hoping to still eat a bit more healthy, even if I am not tracking. I've gained for sure, but I am not beating myself up over it for now. The new job and living situation is enough for me to wrap my head around. Anyhoo, it's going to be an adventure from here on out!
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Friday, November 16, 2018
Looking Ahead to Thanksgiving and Beyond
It's that time of year when good food is abundant and temptation is in full swing. The holiday season from the end of November all the way through December is rough, especially if will power is not a strong point. I have a game plan.
Turkey is always a foregone conclusion, and now that turkey breast is zero points, I am super excited. It' my second favorite part of the turkey. My number one favorite part is the skin, which I am avoiding this year. My kidlet will be quite happy to have it! What should I do about sides? Dessert? I know I am probably going over my daily points, but I have no intention of totally blowing my diet.
Sweet potato has always been on my holiday menu. I prefer a sweet preparation to savory, of course, but my traditional sweet potato souffle is not waistline friendly. I am going to modify this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, substituting some of the sugar, cutting back on the butter, and adding a little splash of lemon juice for a bright, light note. 2/3 of a cup comes up to 8 points of yum.
For cranberry sauce, which in my family is a must, I am making one that my mom will especially love. This simple Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce is a whole bean sauce that I never would have eaten as a kid, because I liked the overly sweet, overly-processed canned jellied sauce. That's the one my daughter and husband still prefer, so they can have it. My mother and I will enjoy this lovely, natural one for a mere 2 points per serving.
No Thanksgiving meal should be without deep greens of some type. My mother loves brussels sprouts, while my daughter and husband adore collard greens. While I intend to make greens for my hubby and kidlet, I am going to make the sprouts for my mother and myself. I have always loved these tiny green "cabbages". These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Dressing will add a beautiful punch of flavor without bacon, butter, or extra salt. A 2/3 cup serving clocks in at 3 points.
Finally, no holiday dinner ever was complete without pie. Traditionally, my family enjoys sweet potato pie, mostly because it is my preference, but I love a good pumpkin pie, too! Pumpkin pie also happens to be one of my mother's favorites, as she's never been as keen on sweet potatoes, and since I decided to make sweet potato casserole, I'd rather hit up a nice can of pumpkin anyway. For me, it is vital that dessert is lightened up considerably. To do that, I've decided on these Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pies. At 9 points, these little custards are both crustless and single-serve, a win-win situation!
Thanksgiving dinner will cost me a grand total of 22 points. That's pretty decent. There will be so much flavor and visual appeal, I won't miss the high-fat, super sugary Thankgivings of years gone by. Also, I can freeze the extra portions of pumpkin pie, if there are any, for Christmas or snack attacks when I can afford them!
For the days following Thanksgiving, I'll be leaning heavily on the WW Zero points list. Guess who is going to be eating turkey for five days straight? Yep. This girl. I'll eat everything but the pumpkin pies for the whole weekend, because I'm working four days straight. I'll miss my family, but that's nursing: no such thing as holidays!
There is also another things about holiday meals: no judgement. Holidays are a time of celebration and joy, eating the things we rarely do, and enjoying the company of the ones we love the most. Thanksgiving in particular is exactly what it says it is - a time of thanksgiving for the abundance available to us. Thankfulness for friends, family, hearth, and home. This Thanksgiving, I choose to be thankful to work with people that cannot be at home, that cannot partake in the family feasting or the gathering of loved ones. For that night, the nurses of the 5th floor will be their family. It's humbling, to say the least.
It's a week early, but from the Blocky Family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. Now go get your grub on!
Turkey is always a foregone conclusion, and now that turkey breast is zero points, I am super excited. It' my second favorite part of the turkey. My number one favorite part is the skin, which I am avoiding this year. My kidlet will be quite happy to have it! What should I do about sides? Dessert? I know I am probably going over my daily points, but I have no intention of totally blowing my diet.
Sweet potato has always been on my holiday menu. I prefer a sweet preparation to savory, of course, but my traditional sweet potato souffle is not waistline friendly. I am going to modify this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, substituting some of the sugar, cutting back on the butter, and adding a little splash of lemon juice for a bright, light note. 2/3 of a cup comes up to 8 points of yum.
For cranberry sauce, which in my family is a must, I am making one that my mom will especially love. This simple Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce is a whole bean sauce that I never would have eaten as a kid, because I liked the overly sweet, overly-processed canned jellied sauce. That's the one my daughter and husband still prefer, so they can have it. My mother and I will enjoy this lovely, natural one for a mere 2 points per serving.
No Thanksgiving meal should be without deep greens of some type. My mother loves brussels sprouts, while my daughter and husband adore collard greens. While I intend to make greens for my hubby and kidlet, I am going to make the sprouts for my mother and myself. I have always loved these tiny green "cabbages". These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Dressing will add a beautiful punch of flavor without bacon, butter, or extra salt. A 2/3 cup serving clocks in at 3 points.
Finally, no holiday dinner ever was complete without pie. Traditionally, my family enjoys sweet potato pie, mostly because it is my preference, but I love a good pumpkin pie, too! Pumpkin pie also happens to be one of my mother's favorites, as she's never been as keen on sweet potatoes, and since I decided to make sweet potato casserole, I'd rather hit up a nice can of pumpkin anyway. For me, it is vital that dessert is lightened up considerably. To do that, I've decided on these Individual Crustless Pumpkin Pies. At 9 points, these little custards are both crustless and single-serve, a win-win situation!
Thanksgiving dinner will cost me a grand total of 22 points. That's pretty decent. There will be so much flavor and visual appeal, I won't miss the high-fat, super sugary Thankgivings of years gone by. Also, I can freeze the extra portions of pumpkin pie, if there are any, for Christmas or snack attacks when I can afford them!
For the days following Thanksgiving, I'll be leaning heavily on the WW Zero points list. Guess who is going to be eating turkey for five days straight? Yep. This girl. I'll eat everything but the pumpkin pies for the whole weekend, because I'm working four days straight. I'll miss my family, but that's nursing: no such thing as holidays!
There is also another things about holiday meals: no judgement. Holidays are a time of celebration and joy, eating the things we rarely do, and enjoying the company of the ones we love the most. Thanksgiving in particular is exactly what it says it is - a time of thanksgiving for the abundance available to us. Thankfulness for friends, family, hearth, and home. This Thanksgiving, I choose to be thankful to work with people that cannot be at home, that cannot partake in the family feasting or the gathering of loved ones. For that night, the nurses of the 5th floor will be their family. It's humbling, to say the least.
It's a week early, but from the Blocky Family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. Now go get your grub on!
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Changing Things Up
For roughly 7 weeks, I've had a revolving menu, but I've stuck with some of the same basic dishes, such as Taco Soup, which is insanely easy to put together, and quinoa salad, which is refreshing and light. I've had many meatless dishes and stuck almost exclusively to ground turkey, chicken breast, and fish as my meats. However, I really feel it's time to switch things up. This past week, I found myself wanting to just skip a meal here and there, not because I don't like the meals, but because eating the very same things or variations of them for weeks on end can get boring. I don't want to feel like I'm in a rut.
Enter some requirements. The meals have to be filling. They have to have good flavor. Acidity is a plus for me. They also have to be somewhat budget friendly. For a soup, I have decided to make Chicken and White Bean Soup, making a few tweaks. Since I've never had leeks, but I'm not super picky, I'll keep those in, but I want to add garlic and mushrooms. For salad, I am thinking along the lines of Chickpea Tuna Salad. I'll just make the chickpea and tuna mixture, pack it into jars, and top with the arugula and then feta to help reduce the chance of the arugula becoming a wet, soggy mass that is inedible.
Since those two meals are only going to cost me 5 points total on WW Freestyle, I have to eat something a bit higher in points to make my goal of at least 13 to 23 points each day. I like that idea! It means I can have a meal that is 9 points or higher, or I can have a nice snack other than fruit or yogurt.
I have decided on a variation of HelloFresh's Grilled Mediterranean Steak. The final count, after deciding to use couscous rather than bulgur, comes to 13 points. Perfect! Not only will I get that fresh, spicy, mouth-watering acidic flavor, but I'll also have a beautiful piece of beef! That's something I can get behind AND I will still have a total of 5 to 10 points if I really want something extra. If not, I get a rollover of 4 points each day toward Thanksgiving.
I can't think of anything better than guilt-free rollovers for Thanksgiving. Except, maybe, Christmas dinner!
Enter some requirements. The meals have to be filling. They have to have good flavor. Acidity is a plus for me. They also have to be somewhat budget friendly. For a soup, I have decided to make Chicken and White Bean Soup, making a few tweaks. Since I've never had leeks, but I'm not super picky, I'll keep those in, but I want to add garlic and mushrooms. For salad, I am thinking along the lines of Chickpea Tuna Salad. I'll just make the chickpea and tuna mixture, pack it into jars, and top with the arugula and then feta to help reduce the chance of the arugula becoming a wet, soggy mass that is inedible.
Since those two meals are only going to cost me 5 points total on WW Freestyle, I have to eat something a bit higher in points to make my goal of at least 13 to 23 points each day. I like that idea! It means I can have a meal that is 9 points or higher, or I can have a nice snack other than fruit or yogurt.
I have decided on a variation of HelloFresh's Grilled Mediterranean Steak. The final count, after deciding to use couscous rather than bulgur, comes to 13 points. Perfect! Not only will I get that fresh, spicy, mouth-watering acidic flavor, but I'll also have a beautiful piece of beef! That's something I can get behind AND I will still have a total of 5 to 10 points if I really want something extra. If not, I get a rollover of 4 points each day toward Thanksgiving.
I can't think of anything better than guilt-free rollovers for Thanksgiving. Except, maybe, Christmas dinner!
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Because Not Everyone Is Alike
It's funny, but people get offended by all sorts of things. Or, maybe instead of funny, it's just sad. scrolling through one of my Facebook Weight Watchers groups, I often see the same questions or variations of them asked again and again.
"I just started WW, and I love bread. What can I have instead?"
"I really like fried foods. How can I substitute them?"
"Chocolate is my favorite sweet treat. How can I fit it in?"
Those are some examples. One post caught my eye. An angry one, lashing out at folks for asking that question. The more I read of the OP's words, the more incensed I got. They stated unequivocally that WW is about a lifestyle change and asking what to substitute things with was defeating the purpose. That people needed to do their research instead of asking the same questions over and over. I was totally floored. Then came the venomous support of the OP's post. It got downright ugly. I was speechless and hurting for the new folks that may have been pushed away from the group, afraid to ask basic questions at the risk of being filleted by an over zealous WW follower that appeared to have zero patience, tolerance, or understanding. I mean, if you have nothing to offer to someone that is asking a question, regardless of the fact they are asking the same one you've seen a hundred times, why is it so hard to just scroll on?
I do a lot of research, and I also ask a lot of questions. I try to stay away from toxic people that would rather cut people than help them. I guess that's because I have the tolerance and the patience to answer other people's questions, or the wisdom to simply keep scrolling. I would rather see someone do WW badly with support than to push them away from it completely.
Anyone that asks a question is willing to learn something. Learning that their questions are not welcome is a bitter blow to someone just starting out on WW, or any weight loss plan, actually. Support is critical for success. It may be amusing to be a smart-ass, but those are real people with very real feelings asking a question that they'd really like to know the answer to. If you happen to be a member of any WW group, and you see someone being toxic, it's a nice thing to answer their questions without even batting an eye at how rude some people can be. Just because some people (yes I am using that word a lot - people) including myself view this as a way of eating for life, it's not like that for everyone. For some, it's simply a stepping stone to feeling healthier, or they'd like to fit into that perfect wedding dress, or even lose some weight prior to a major event in their life.
I tend to do much thinking and plodding alone on my own. It would be a lot more fun with a group of folks that can feel free in asking whatever the heck they want without fearing a tongue-lashing. Anyway, enough of that.
Last night, while working, I came to a realization. It struck me hard. Without intending to, I am changing my mindset in a very interesting way that will help me make this stick pretty much for life. Instead of trying to find substitutes for my favorite foods, I am searching for new ones. New recipes, spices, dressings, and regional cuisines. I am not trying to find a healthier way to eat food that resembles fried chicken, for example, but I am trying to find healthy, easy to cook meals that I won't mind throwing together again and again.
One such recipe by far is Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. Out of six weeks of being on the plan, I've made it at least five times, each time making four jars. I've made a variation of Taco Soup for five of those six weeks, relearning to love beans. I've also made the best chicken soup I have ever tasted: Avgolemono Soup.
I am the least picky eater in my house, but I am picky to a degree. I've started avoiding beef and pork, preferring chicken, turkey, and fish instead, as they are on the WW Zero Points List. Do I miss beef and pork? Of course I do! I don't intend to never eat them. I just plan to eat them very rarely. My mind is always ticking when I come across a particularly interesting meal, thinking on ways to lighten it up and make it healthier, as well as pondering on if I would enjoy eating it for several days in a row.
Portion control is also becoming a bigger deal to me. Sure, fruit is considered to be free, but if I eat all I want, the natural sugars will add up, hitting my calorie count hard. Beans, too, one of my major staples at the moment, can also pack a huge punch in calories if I eat too many. Therefore, I have started paying attention to having only a scoop of Taco Soup rather than a soup bowl full. Have you ever considered the size of one of those deeply rounded soup bowls? Generally, I stick to a cup to a cup and a half now. I carefully portion my fat free yogurt, which is something I eat nearly every day, either by itself, mixed into a simple dessert, or as a great alternative to sour cream. (It also makes a totally delicious salad dressing when mixed with a bit of salsa or Rotel Tomatoes with Chilies!) I also carefully eyeball that snack bag of grapes, and limit myself to an apple and maybe two mandarin oranges a day rather than eating all I would like to.
I am not the me I would like to be in a year. I am, however, learning to eat healthier, make better choices, and break the narrow minded view of a diet that I have always had. It's a terrific start, if I do say so myself!
"I just started WW, and I love bread. What can I have instead?"
"I really like fried foods. How can I substitute them?"
"Chocolate is my favorite sweet treat. How can I fit it in?"
Those are some examples. One post caught my eye. An angry one, lashing out at folks for asking that question. The more I read of the OP's words, the more incensed I got. They stated unequivocally that WW is about a lifestyle change and asking what to substitute things with was defeating the purpose. That people needed to do their research instead of asking the same questions over and over. I was totally floored. Then came the venomous support of the OP's post. It got downright ugly. I was speechless and hurting for the new folks that may have been pushed away from the group, afraid to ask basic questions at the risk of being filleted by an over zealous WW follower that appeared to have zero patience, tolerance, or understanding. I mean, if you have nothing to offer to someone that is asking a question, regardless of the fact they are asking the same one you've seen a hundred times, why is it so hard to just scroll on?
I do a lot of research, and I also ask a lot of questions. I try to stay away from toxic people that would rather cut people than help them. I guess that's because I have the tolerance and the patience to answer other people's questions, or the wisdom to simply keep scrolling. I would rather see someone do WW badly with support than to push them away from it completely.
Anyone that asks a question is willing to learn something. Learning that their questions are not welcome is a bitter blow to someone just starting out on WW, or any weight loss plan, actually. Support is critical for success. It may be amusing to be a smart-ass, but those are real people with very real feelings asking a question that they'd really like to know the answer to. If you happen to be a member of any WW group, and you see someone being toxic, it's a nice thing to answer their questions without even batting an eye at how rude some people can be. Just because some people (yes I am using that word a lot - people) including myself view this as a way of eating for life, it's not like that for everyone. For some, it's simply a stepping stone to feeling healthier, or they'd like to fit into that perfect wedding dress, or even lose some weight prior to a major event in their life.
I tend to do much thinking and plodding alone on my own. It would be a lot more fun with a group of folks that can feel free in asking whatever the heck they want without fearing a tongue-lashing. Anyway, enough of that.
Last night, while working, I came to a realization. It struck me hard. Without intending to, I am changing my mindset in a very interesting way that will help me make this stick pretty much for life. Instead of trying to find substitutes for my favorite foods, I am searching for new ones. New recipes, spices, dressings, and regional cuisines. I am not trying to find a healthier way to eat food that resembles fried chicken, for example, but I am trying to find healthy, easy to cook meals that I won't mind throwing together again and again.
One such recipe by far is Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. Out of six weeks of being on the plan, I've made it at least five times, each time making four jars. I've made a variation of Taco Soup for five of those six weeks, relearning to love beans. I've also made the best chicken soup I have ever tasted: Avgolemono Soup.
I am the least picky eater in my house, but I am picky to a degree. I've started avoiding beef and pork, preferring chicken, turkey, and fish instead, as they are on the WW Zero Points List. Do I miss beef and pork? Of course I do! I don't intend to never eat them. I just plan to eat them very rarely. My mind is always ticking when I come across a particularly interesting meal, thinking on ways to lighten it up and make it healthier, as well as pondering on if I would enjoy eating it for several days in a row.
Portion control is also becoming a bigger deal to me. Sure, fruit is considered to be free, but if I eat all I want, the natural sugars will add up, hitting my calorie count hard. Beans, too, one of my major staples at the moment, can also pack a huge punch in calories if I eat too many. Therefore, I have started paying attention to having only a scoop of Taco Soup rather than a soup bowl full. Have you ever considered the size of one of those deeply rounded soup bowls? Generally, I stick to a cup to a cup and a half now. I carefully portion my fat free yogurt, which is something I eat nearly every day, either by itself, mixed into a simple dessert, or as a great alternative to sour cream. (It also makes a totally delicious salad dressing when mixed with a bit of salsa or Rotel Tomatoes with Chilies!) I also carefully eyeball that snack bag of grapes, and limit myself to an apple and maybe two mandarin oranges a day rather than eating all I would like to.
I am not the me I would like to be in a year. I am, however, learning to eat healthier, make better choices, and break the narrow minded view of a diet that I have always had. It's a terrific start, if I do say so myself!
Friday, November 9, 2018
Falling and Getting Back Up
It's been an interesting, guilt-inducing couple of weeks. I've been way off the Weight Watchers wagon, somewhere out in the woods, throwing kindling on it while snacking my way through chocolate, fried festival foods, and fat-laden restaurant delights. Yes, I have even fallen so low as to have not weighed in, either. Frankly, I am worried about how much damage I have done to the 8 measly pounds I'd lost.
Time to stop worrying and just put on my big girl panties.
I knew two of the dishes I already wanted. One, a big pot of taco soup, the other my standard quinoa salad. It may soon be time to retire that dish for a bit so I don't get tired of it, or find an interesting new variation. The last dish took some thinking. Last night I'd asked my husband to pick up some mushrooms and a couple of zucchini, thinking I'd make fish with roasted veggies on the side. I decided instead to make a farro dish for the first time. I also cooked my quinoa in chicken broth for the first time... But I digress.
My local Walmart doesn't have bulgar, but I recalled while making my shopping list that they they do carry farro. I've been nothing this go round on Weight Watchers if not adventurous. I did a quick Google search on healthy farro recipes and found one I liked. Warm Farro Salad fit a few criteria. It looked simple with less than ten ingredients. It was therefore budget friendly. It also did not require more than one unknown ingredient: the farro itself. My closest Walmart has been letting me down recently, not stocking in ome of my favorite things, or discontinuing them altogether, but they had the farro! They also had a really nice Wild and Brown Rice blend I can't wait to try.
Meal prep tonight took a little longer than I anticipated. Hubby had washed a few of the dishes and called it good. I had to finish cleaning the kitchen so I could dirty it and clean it again. I can't even say enough how much I loathe having to clean the kitchen so it can be clean when I cook, but that's another story. I got right down to business, cooking the quinoa and the taco soup immediately. While the quinoa cooled, I made the farro.
I didn't want those luscious baby portobello mushrooms and zucchini to go to waste, so I cleaned, sliced and roasted the mushrooms and then put them in with the farro when it was halfway through cooking. I drizzled extra lemon juice over the kale/spinach mixture I bought and added more than just a "pinch" of black pepper. I then roasted the zucchini while I finished the farro dish, and added them to the side. I'm set through Monday night for food. I am hoping I'll have a couple of days after the weekend to regroup and do more meal prep!
In the meantime, it may be time to find an accountability partner. I sure could use the extra boost of encouragement, and someone to talk me down during a snack attack or through a moment of weakness...
Time to stop worrying and just put on my big girl panties.
I knew two of the dishes I already wanted. One, a big pot of taco soup, the other my standard quinoa salad. It may soon be time to retire that dish for a bit so I don't get tired of it, or find an interesting new variation. The last dish took some thinking. Last night I'd asked my husband to pick up some mushrooms and a couple of zucchini, thinking I'd make fish with roasted veggies on the side. I decided instead to make a farro dish for the first time. I also cooked my quinoa in chicken broth for the first time... But I digress.
My local Walmart doesn't have bulgar, but I recalled while making my shopping list that they they do carry farro. I've been nothing this go round on Weight Watchers if not adventurous. I did a quick Google search on healthy farro recipes and found one I liked. Warm Farro Salad fit a few criteria. It looked simple with less than ten ingredients. It was therefore budget friendly. It also did not require more than one unknown ingredient: the farro itself. My closest Walmart has been letting me down recently, not stocking in ome of my favorite things, or discontinuing them altogether, but they had the farro! They also had a really nice Wild and Brown Rice blend I can't wait to try.
Meal prep tonight took a little longer than I anticipated. Hubby had washed a few of the dishes and called it good. I had to finish cleaning the kitchen so I could dirty it and clean it again. I can't even say enough how much I loathe having to clean the kitchen so it can be clean when I cook, but that's another story. I got right down to business, cooking the quinoa and the taco soup immediately. While the quinoa cooled, I made the farro.
 |
| A bowl of delicious, creamy and "bitey" deliciousnes! |
I didn't want those luscious baby portobello mushrooms and zucchini to go to waste, so I cleaned, sliced and roasted the mushrooms and then put them in with the farro when it was halfway through cooking. I drizzled extra lemon juice over the kale/spinach mixture I bought and added more than just a "pinch" of black pepper. I then roasted the zucchini while I finished the farro dish, and added them to the side. I'm set through Monday night for food. I am hoping I'll have a couple of days after the weekend to regroup and do more meal prep!
In the meantime, it may be time to find an accountability partner. I sure could use the extra boost of encouragement, and someone to talk me down during a snack attack or through a moment of weakness...
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Veggiemania!
Perhaps I should have stuck to my plan to go grocery shopping on my way home from work yesterday morning, but I wasn't sure of a couple of ingredients, so I just came on home. The result was that I ended up eating leftover taco soup, fruit, and yogurt yesterday. This morning I woke up and had another bowl of taco soup while I worked out my menu. Finally, I headed for the store.
I am pretty proud of myself - over half of my list consisted of produce section items. I grabbed everything else first, and then got ridiculously excited when I got to the produce. I chucked the biggest grapes I've ever seen into the cart. Beautiful little sweet onions. A large, fresh pineapple. Crisp, green scallions. They were out of roma tomatoes, so I grabbed a few campari tomatoes. They aren't quite acidic enough for me, but they still taste pretty good this time of year. Suddenly, a beautiful eggplant caught my eye.
I never was big on eggplant. I found them to be bitter and tough-ish. Last week I made noodle-free veggie lasagna, and it called for eggplant. I fell in love. My mind started building flavors for me, and I got really hungry. I was literally giggling while I threw an eggplant, a large zucchini, and some sliced baby 'bellas into my cart. I couldn't wait to get home.
I preheated my oven to 425 F. My mom bought me a couple of quarter sheet pans a few years ago, and they've become super helpful since I started back on Weight Watchers. I scrounged a red onion, chopped it up with the zucchini and eggplant, cleaned off the mushrooms, and put it all into a bowl.I lightly coated the veggies in olive oil, salt and pepper, and poured them out on the pans. I roasted the veggies for about 25 minutes, getting a nice char on some edges, scraped them back into the bowl, and added a cup of marinara sauce. I placed the vegetables into a casserole dish and cooked them at 350 F for another 20 minutes.
Y'all. Pure bliss!
I am getting more and more enamored with vegetables. This is the time of year that things like acorn and butternut squash are plentiful. I have never cooked them, but it's time I try them! I am looking forward to eating more brussels sprouts, rutabagas, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Yes, yes... I know sweet potatoes are starchy, but they are divine with fish and greens. I am thinking of branching out and trying them cooked in various ways other than roasted, my favorite way to eat them.
While making my Black Bean and Feta Quinoa Salad, I realized there wouldn't be room in the jar for the chicken I roasted, so I unintentionally made two of my three daily meals vegetarian. That's ok. I now have precooked chicken in the freezer, ready for whatever I decide to make in the next couple of weeks. It'll shave some prep time. My other meatless meal is chickpea and spinach stew. The brown rice will help boost the protein. Instead of taco soup this week, I decided to try a new recipe: Taco Casserole. It is actually pretty light on taco flavor and uses ground turkey. I added extra cheese. If I like it enough, I am going to halve the cheese. Unfortunately, I couldn't find fat free cheddar. Annoying to say the least.
I know I'm not slated to be a vegetarian unless it is unavoidable, but I am loving having one or two meatless meals a day. Truly, I wish that fruits and vegetables were cheaper. It's harder for many of my patients to access larger amounts of them, and it makes no sense for a small cup of pre-cut fruit to cost $4-$5. I always cut my own fruit now. Not only does it taste better, but for the same price of a cup of cut fruit, I can get much more. Instead of eating one serving of fruit, I usually have enough for the week. Admittedly, I spend $10 to $20 on fruit alone, because everyone in my house eats it.
On my next visit to the store, I plan to pick up butternut or acorn squash and try it. And believe me... An eggplant will also be in that cart!
I am pretty proud of myself - over half of my list consisted of produce section items. I grabbed everything else first, and then got ridiculously excited when I got to the produce. I chucked the biggest grapes I've ever seen into the cart. Beautiful little sweet onions. A large, fresh pineapple. Crisp, green scallions. They were out of roma tomatoes, so I grabbed a few campari tomatoes. They aren't quite acidic enough for me, but they still taste pretty good this time of year. Suddenly, a beautiful eggplant caught my eye.
I never was big on eggplant. I found them to be bitter and tough-ish. Last week I made noodle-free veggie lasagna, and it called for eggplant. I fell in love. My mind started building flavors for me, and I got really hungry. I was literally giggling while I threw an eggplant, a large zucchini, and some sliced baby 'bellas into my cart. I couldn't wait to get home.
I preheated my oven to 425 F. My mom bought me a couple of quarter sheet pans a few years ago, and they've become super helpful since I started back on Weight Watchers. I scrounged a red onion, chopped it up with the zucchini and eggplant, cleaned off the mushrooms, and put it all into a bowl.I lightly coated the veggies in olive oil, salt and pepper, and poured them out on the pans. I roasted the veggies for about 25 minutes, getting a nice char on some edges, scraped them back into the bowl, and added a cup of marinara sauce. I placed the vegetables into a casserole dish and cooked them at 350 F for another 20 minutes.
Y'all. Pure bliss!
I am getting more and more enamored with vegetables. This is the time of year that things like acorn and butternut squash are plentiful. I have never cooked them, but it's time I try them! I am looking forward to eating more brussels sprouts, rutabagas, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Yes, yes... I know sweet potatoes are starchy, but they are divine with fish and greens. I am thinking of branching out and trying them cooked in various ways other than roasted, my favorite way to eat them.
While making my Black Bean and Feta Quinoa Salad, I realized there wouldn't be room in the jar for the chicken I roasted, so I unintentionally made two of my three daily meals vegetarian. That's ok. I now have precooked chicken in the freezer, ready for whatever I decide to make in the next couple of weeks. It'll shave some prep time. My other meatless meal is chickpea and spinach stew. The brown rice will help boost the protein. Instead of taco soup this week, I decided to try a new recipe: Taco Casserole. It is actually pretty light on taco flavor and uses ground turkey. I added extra cheese. If I like it enough, I am going to halve the cheese. Unfortunately, I couldn't find fat free cheddar. Annoying to say the least.
I know I'm not slated to be a vegetarian unless it is unavoidable, but I am loving having one or two meatless meals a day. Truly, I wish that fruits and vegetables were cheaper. It's harder for many of my patients to access larger amounts of them, and it makes no sense for a small cup of pre-cut fruit to cost $4-$5. I always cut my own fruit now. Not only does it taste better, but for the same price of a cup of cut fruit, I can get much more. Instead of eating one serving of fruit, I usually have enough for the week. Admittedly, I spend $10 to $20 on fruit alone, because everyone in my house eats it.
On my next visit to the store, I plan to pick up butternut or acorn squash and try it. And believe me... An eggplant will also be in that cart!
Friday, October 26, 2018
What a Week
This past weekend, I threw my diet completely out of the window. I ended up going on an out of state trip for the first time in three years. This time, my daughter and I went to Alabama with a couple of my friends to visit some haunts for Halloween. We laughed a lot, slept too little, and ate way too much. I knew I'd have a gain, but honestly, I didn't care. It was a fantastic weekend!
Anyway, I came home without a whole lot of time to recuperate or stock up on healthy dishes before I had to go back to work. Therefore, I ended up eating way too much take-out at work and eating unhealthy for a couple of days after. Last night, I finally went to the store and got good groceries and then cooked today. My fridge is now stocked for the weekend, so I can just grab my meals out, pack them up, and run.
I made Taco and Avgolemono Soup, low carb Veggie Lasagna, and my favorite quinoa salad. I also made a treat in the form of sugar-free Greek yogurt jello, and bought grapes, fresh pineapple, and mandarin oranges. I was truly shocked and dismayed at how much food I ended up throwing out prior to shopping. I really wish I could buy only what I needed for a recipe rather than too much. For example, scallions. They were starting to wilt, and I had far more than I needed. Also most of a head of butter lettuce that had gone over, celery, fresh mint and parsley, some fruit that went bad over the weekend, and soup I'd forgotten to freeze. So depressing! Soon, I am going to try to find ways to use up most ingredients without so much waste.
It's certainly soup season, and I plan to make a lot of it. I am also planning to try making more casseroles for one dish ease and multiple servings. While I still intend to try foods from around the world from time to time, it's a great time to make more comfort food, as well as trying to lighten up some of my family favorites. I'm still gauging favorite recipes and hoping to find others that will make a regular appearance on my menu each week. It's all a learning curve.
I did learn that although I like chicken on the side when I am eating my quinoa salad, it's too much if added in. I'm going to try eating it without the chicken on the side. The quinoa is already a protein powerhouse, so the chicken is just a little overkill anyway. Also, I am minding how much fruit I am eating. I was eating cut fruit by the bowlful, but it's time for me to eat servings and not as much as I want. That should help me cut back on fruit when shopping.
Anyway, time for a cup of coffee and a good movie on Netflix!
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| If you don't come out of a haunted house looking like this, you didn't do it right. |
Anyway, I came home without a whole lot of time to recuperate or stock up on healthy dishes before I had to go back to work. Therefore, I ended up eating way too much take-out at work and eating unhealthy for a couple of days after. Last night, I finally went to the store and got good groceries and then cooked today. My fridge is now stocked for the weekend, so I can just grab my meals out, pack them up, and run.
I made Taco and Avgolemono Soup, low carb Veggie Lasagna, and my favorite quinoa salad. I also made a treat in the form of sugar-free Greek yogurt jello, and bought grapes, fresh pineapple, and mandarin oranges. I was truly shocked and dismayed at how much food I ended up throwing out prior to shopping. I really wish I could buy only what I needed for a recipe rather than too much. For example, scallions. They were starting to wilt, and I had far more than I needed. Also most of a head of butter lettuce that had gone over, celery, fresh mint and parsley, some fruit that went bad over the weekend, and soup I'd forgotten to freeze. So depressing! Soon, I am going to try to find ways to use up most ingredients without so much waste.
It's certainly soup season, and I plan to make a lot of it. I am also planning to try making more casseroles for one dish ease and multiple servings. While I still intend to try foods from around the world from time to time, it's a great time to make more comfort food, as well as trying to lighten up some of my family favorites. I'm still gauging favorite recipes and hoping to find others that will make a regular appearance on my menu each week. It's all a learning curve.
I did learn that although I like chicken on the side when I am eating my quinoa salad, it's too much if added in. I'm going to try eating it without the chicken on the side. The quinoa is already a protein powerhouse, so the chicken is just a little overkill anyway. Also, I am minding how much fruit I am eating. I was eating cut fruit by the bowlful, but it's time for me to eat servings and not as much as I want. That should help me cut back on fruit when shopping.
Anyway, time for a cup of coffee and a good movie on Netflix!
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Food Focus: Aglio e Olio
Aglio e olio sounds so exotic, doesn't it? It's Italian for garlic and oil, and apparently originates from Naples. Simplicity in itself. I made three meatless meals while prepping today, and every single one shines in it's own way. Other than the quinoa I made, my new-found recipe for Zoodles with White Beans and Tomatoes was the only one that required cooking. My goodness, but the house smelled amazing while this was cooking!
A week or so ago, my mom bought me a spiralizer. It's got a few attachments, and I had to experiment with the two spaghetti attachments to find the right one for this dish. Let me just say that two standard zucchini make plenty of "noodles"! I was a little wary of zoodles at first, so the above recipe was perfect for my first try. Half real spaghetti noodles, half zoodles, this eases me into the world of spiralizing and eating veggie noodles.
I can't underscore it enough how delicious the aroma of garlic and pepper flakes sauteing in olive oil smells. The results were pretty nice, too. Since the dish doesn't have a heavy tomato base, but rather an addition of fresh tomatoes, it relies heavily on the garlic to flavor the base. I used a mixture of curly parsley and basil, but I think either one would be pretty good on their own. In fact, I plan to use only basil leaves next time. I used fresh shredded Parmesan cheese to top it all off.
The points are pretty high for this dish: a whopping 11 points! The deliciousness factor, though, and the fact I am eating some real pasta, makes up for that. I was able to finish up my day with a total of 19 out of 23 points.
I've looked for other ways to use this delightful, healthy sauce. This is what I found on a quick search:
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti Aglio Olio
Mushroom Spaghetti Aglio Olio
All of those look so tasty, and I am sure they can be lightened up in little ways.
I certainly look forward to having Aglio e Olio again. In the meantime, I am just going to enjoy it over the next few days or so. The big plus? My husband may not eat this, but he certainly didn't turn his nose up at trying it. One day, maybe that man will appreciate a few more veggies!
A week or so ago, my mom bought me a spiralizer. It's got a few attachments, and I had to experiment with the two spaghetti attachments to find the right one for this dish. Let me just say that two standard zucchini make plenty of "noodles"! I was a little wary of zoodles at first, so the above recipe was perfect for my first try. Half real spaghetti noodles, half zoodles, this eases me into the world of spiralizing and eating veggie noodles.
I can't underscore it enough how delicious the aroma of garlic and pepper flakes sauteing in olive oil smells. The results were pretty nice, too. Since the dish doesn't have a heavy tomato base, but rather an addition of fresh tomatoes, it relies heavily on the garlic to flavor the base. I used a mixture of curly parsley and basil, but I think either one would be pretty good on their own. In fact, I plan to use only basil leaves next time. I used fresh shredded Parmesan cheese to top it all off.
The points are pretty high for this dish: a whopping 11 points! The deliciousness factor, though, and the fact I am eating some real pasta, makes up for that. I was able to finish up my day with a total of 19 out of 23 points.
I've looked for other ways to use this delightful, healthy sauce. This is what I found on a quick search:
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti Aglio Olio
Mushroom Spaghetti Aglio Olio
All of those look so tasty, and I am sure they can be lightened up in little ways.
I certainly look forward to having Aglio e Olio again. In the meantime, I am just going to enjoy it over the next few days or so. The big plus? My husband may not eat this, but he certainly didn't turn his nose up at trying it. One day, maybe that man will appreciate a few more veggies!
My Favorite Recipes
This is a spot for an ever-growing list of my favorite recipes, along with little notes for the changes I make to them, and their points values, which includes the changes I made. Points value will vary without changes.
Avgolemono Soup - 3 points. No changes.
Black Bean and Feta Quinoa Salad - 4 points. Added a light dressing of lime juice (2 limes, about 1/8 cup) and equal amount of olive oil whisked with salt and pepper. Heavier than quinoa tabbouleh salad, very satisfying!
Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich - 4 points. I split the recipe into 8 servings and eat this with a leaf of butter lettuce tucked inside a whole wheat pita pocket, one of the smaller ones.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad - 6 points. Very heavily changed. Removed parsley due to bitterness. Lowered mint to maybe 1/8 cup or so of leaves, finely chopped. Added cucumber and two Tablespoons capers. Dressing measured out to 1/8 cup each lemon juice and olive oil with salt and pepper.
Taco Soup - 3 points if split into 8 servings. Made from picture online. One can each pinto beans, black beans, and kidney beans rinsed and drained. One can each corn (drained), beef broth, rotel tomatoes with chilies, rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro. Two cans petite diced tomatoes. 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, 1 package Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix, and one pound 93% fat free ground turkey breast. I love to mix in a spoonful of fat free Greek yogurt (Fage 0% is my go-to!)
Zoodles with White Beans and Tomatoes - 11 points. No changes.
Avgolemono Soup - 3 points. No changes.
Black Bean and Feta Quinoa Salad - 4 points. Added a light dressing of lime juice (2 limes, about 1/8 cup) and equal amount of olive oil whisked with salt and pepper. Heavier than quinoa tabbouleh salad, very satisfying!
Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich - 4 points. I split the recipe into 8 servings and eat this with a leaf of butter lettuce tucked inside a whole wheat pita pocket, one of the smaller ones.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad - 6 points. Very heavily changed. Removed parsley due to bitterness. Lowered mint to maybe 1/8 cup or so of leaves, finely chopped. Added cucumber and two Tablespoons capers. Dressing measured out to 1/8 cup each lemon juice and olive oil with salt and pepper.
Taco Soup - 3 points if split into 8 servings. Made from picture online. One can each pinto beans, black beans, and kidney beans rinsed and drained. One can each corn (drained), beef broth, rotel tomatoes with chilies, rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro. Two cans petite diced tomatoes. 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, 1 package Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix, and one pound 93% fat free ground turkey breast. I love to mix in a spoonful of fat free Greek yogurt (Fage 0% is my go-to!)
Zoodles with White Beans and Tomatoes - 11 points. No changes.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Food Focus: Avgolemono Soup
Lemons, lemons, and more lemons! Do you feel a trend going here? I know I do! When my husband and I went shopping the other night, I almost picked up a bag of Meyer lemons instead of a couple of loose ones. Part of me is gnashing teeth because lemons can be used for so many things, and I certainly have been using them a lot lately. They are a taste of sunshine in even the coldest of months. Not that it is even close to cold yet here in the Southeast!
This lemony, egg-thickened soup appears to have originated in places like Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans. While considering what to make for my next four days or so, I decided to look in on this recipe. I found it while hunting healthy Mediterranean dishes, and since lemon and chicken pair so well, it made my list of must-makes. The ingredients are fairly cheap and the list is short, which makes this a winner already. The added bonus of Vitamin C from the lemon, protein from the egg, and delightful starchiness and mouth-feel from the orzo just make it sound even better. I love chicken soup piping hot and filled to the brim with egg noodles, carrots, celery, and onions, but that has to move over for now.
Hurricane Michael rolled right over my sister yesterday (it still feels like today for me since I've been up since yesterday, and it won't be tomorrow until I go to sleep). I was extremely upset about the whole thing since she decided to stay. My nephews were also with her, and the oldest had a rare form of osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle bone disease. She lives near Panama City in a mobile home (or did), so they evacuated to a hotel in Panama City. First, her windows started to leak as the rain started blowing sideways so they moved to the stairwells, then roof completely blew off of the building. The lobby was gutted, windows started blowing out, and the fifth floor of the hotel collapsed. They huddled with all of the other guests on the third floor corridors and stairwells until the storm had passed. Thankfully, they were safe. Sadly, I'm not certain everyone else made it out of the storm safely.
The storm is on it's way through Georgia to South Carolina, and we are expecting a bit of wind, a lot of rain, and tornadoes. To calm my nerves, I was glad to start cooking, even if the power is likely to go out tomorrow. I hope it won't, but it's more than a possibility. Tonight though! The kitchen was my domain.
Oh, Avgolemono Soup, how do I love thee? This soup is utterly fantastic and made much more than I expected it to. Originally stating that it feeds four, I was able to split the finished product into six nicely sized servings at only 3 points for the servings! It is a lovely white soup, thickened by the egg, and lightened beautifully by the lemon juice. I added very little salt and quite a bit of pepper. It got the seal of approval from my picky daughter, too!
If you'd like to try to make this lovely soup, go HERE.
This will certainly be made again. Soon.
This lemony, egg-thickened soup appears to have originated in places like Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans. While considering what to make for my next four days or so, I decided to look in on this recipe. I found it while hunting healthy Mediterranean dishes, and since lemon and chicken pair so well, it made my list of must-makes. The ingredients are fairly cheap and the list is short, which makes this a winner already. The added bonus of Vitamin C from the lemon, protein from the egg, and delightful starchiness and mouth-feel from the orzo just make it sound even better. I love chicken soup piping hot and filled to the brim with egg noodles, carrots, celery, and onions, but that has to move over for now.
Hurricane Michael rolled right over my sister yesterday (it still feels like today for me since I've been up since yesterday, and it won't be tomorrow until I go to sleep). I was extremely upset about the whole thing since she decided to stay. My nephews were also with her, and the oldest had a rare form of osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle bone disease. She lives near Panama City in a mobile home (or did), so they evacuated to a hotel in Panama City. First, her windows started to leak as the rain started blowing sideways so they moved to the stairwells, then roof completely blew off of the building. The lobby was gutted, windows started blowing out, and the fifth floor of the hotel collapsed. They huddled with all of the other guests on the third floor corridors and stairwells until the storm had passed. Thankfully, they were safe. Sadly, I'm not certain everyone else made it out of the storm safely.
The storm is on it's way through Georgia to South Carolina, and we are expecting a bit of wind, a lot of rain, and tornadoes. To calm my nerves, I was glad to start cooking, even if the power is likely to go out tomorrow. I hope it won't, but it's more than a possibility. Tonight though! The kitchen was my domain.
Oh, Avgolemono Soup, how do I love thee? This soup is utterly fantastic and made much more than I expected it to. Originally stating that it feeds four, I was able to split the finished product into six nicely sized servings at only 3 points for the servings! It is a lovely white soup, thickened by the egg, and lightened beautifully by the lemon juice. I added very little salt and quite a bit of pepper. It got the seal of approval from my picky daughter, too!
If you'd like to try to make this lovely soup, go HERE.
This will certainly be made again. Soon.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Little Things Make a Big Difference
A few months ago, I made an emergency appointment for a feminine issue I'm not going to go deeply into. However, the OB-GYN I made the appointment with was a doctor I have not seen since 2001. He was surprised to see me, and a little shocked that I had waited so long to see him, but instead of berating me, he pulled out the step on the exam table while I sat on a chair. His NP sat to the side. Both of them asked questions and delved deep into possible causes for what I was suffering. The whole time, I wondered, "Why is he sitting on the step? He's sitting lower than my eyeline." Finally, I asked him, "Why did you not take the stool or the chair?" He said, "So I am not looking down on you."
That moment touched me. This doctor, who I knew to be very busy, had taken the time to sit down and really talk to me. It affected me deeply.
Last night, I had an elderly patient come in for a myriad of health issues. She was shrill and demanding, and her son was all but bowing to her every word. He hovered and fussed to the point that he was actually getting in the way of the admission. Her hand was bleeding heavily due to her IV coming loose and the blood thinners she had been taking. The patient care tech and I cleaned her up, got her settled, and got into the business of trying to do the admission on the EHR, carry out orders, and placate her. The woman was super impatient, barking orders and getting angrier if they were not complied with immediately. It came at a busy time, as my pod was split and I'd been told one patient was asking for pain medication and another had pulled his IV out in his sleep. I was also trying to sort orders from an admission two hours before, along with checking in with new orders from an admission that had come in just prior to my shift, and for the doctor that was doing late night rounds.
During the lengthier portion of the admission, I stopped and thought for a moment. Gently speaking to my patient, I told her I was going to raise her bed. I raised it until she was at eye level. Not hard when your nurse is only 5' 2". She asked me why. I said, "So you can look me eye to eye, and I am not looking down on you." I turned my computer in such a way that it was not between us and started talking with her. By this time her son had left to go home and she was alone with us. She started to relax and even smile. She reached out a few times and patted my hand, and I held her cool, bruised hand in mine gently.
Throughout the night, she pressed the call light multiple times. She wanted water. She wanted her light on. She wanted her light off. She wanted a new channel to watch on the television. She wanted to order her breakfast. Several times an hour, the call light would shrill, and more often than not, it was her.
Putting myself in her shoes, I thought about how lonely she must be, and how powerless and frail she must feel. Once, she was as young as me, and probably felt just as full as life before her health took a downward turn. It stood to reason that she was taking power from the only things she could control. It made me much more patient with her. She invited me to call her by her first name. I called her Ms. and she shook her head and again instructed me to call her by her first name. Going against every fiber of my Southern upbringing, I called her by her name and she smiled widely.
I made sure to check in on her before I left this morning, even after I had given report. She had been my most difficult patient. Not my sickest by far, but certainly my neediest. The last time I walked in, she took my hand and patted it. She said, "You are the best nurse, and I am so glad I had you. I wish I could make recommendations. Thank you for caring."
That simple moment made my entire night, and reminded me why I decided to be a nurse.
I imagine that she is still in that bed tonight giving another nurse and tech a hard time, and it actually makes me smile. I know what made her happy last night, and I'm hoping my night shift colleague figures it out. After all, who knows how many times she can push that call bell tonight?
That moment touched me. This doctor, who I knew to be very busy, had taken the time to sit down and really talk to me. It affected me deeply.
Last night, I had an elderly patient come in for a myriad of health issues. She was shrill and demanding, and her son was all but bowing to her every word. He hovered and fussed to the point that he was actually getting in the way of the admission. Her hand was bleeding heavily due to her IV coming loose and the blood thinners she had been taking. The patient care tech and I cleaned her up, got her settled, and got into the business of trying to do the admission on the EHR, carry out orders, and placate her. The woman was super impatient, barking orders and getting angrier if they were not complied with immediately. It came at a busy time, as my pod was split and I'd been told one patient was asking for pain medication and another had pulled his IV out in his sleep. I was also trying to sort orders from an admission two hours before, along with checking in with new orders from an admission that had come in just prior to my shift, and for the doctor that was doing late night rounds.
During the lengthier portion of the admission, I stopped and thought for a moment. Gently speaking to my patient, I told her I was going to raise her bed. I raised it until she was at eye level. Not hard when your nurse is only 5' 2". She asked me why. I said, "So you can look me eye to eye, and I am not looking down on you." I turned my computer in such a way that it was not between us and started talking with her. By this time her son had left to go home and she was alone with us. She started to relax and even smile. She reached out a few times and patted my hand, and I held her cool, bruised hand in mine gently.
Throughout the night, she pressed the call light multiple times. She wanted water. She wanted her light on. She wanted her light off. She wanted a new channel to watch on the television. She wanted to order her breakfast. Several times an hour, the call light would shrill, and more often than not, it was her.
Putting myself in her shoes, I thought about how lonely she must be, and how powerless and frail she must feel. Once, she was as young as me, and probably felt just as full as life before her health took a downward turn. It stood to reason that she was taking power from the only things she could control. It made me much more patient with her. She invited me to call her by her first name. I called her Ms. and she shook her head and again instructed me to call her by her first name. Going against every fiber of my Southern upbringing, I called her by her name and she smiled widely.
I made sure to check in on her before I left this morning, even after I had given report. She had been my most difficult patient. Not my sickest by far, but certainly my neediest. The last time I walked in, she took my hand and patted it. She said, "You are the best nurse, and I am so glad I had you. I wish I could make recommendations. Thank you for caring."
That simple moment made my entire night, and reminded me why I decided to be a nurse.
I imagine that she is still in that bed tonight giving another nurse and tech a hard time, and it actually makes me smile. I know what made her happy last night, and I'm hoping my night shift colleague figures it out. After all, who knows how many times she can push that call bell tonight?
Monday, October 8, 2018
The Joys of an Open Mind, and Tabbouleh Pt 2
In deciding to try Weight Watchers again, I realized that to develop a totally new relationship with food, it might be time to change gears and change up what I eat on a regular basis. To me, this means trying foods that I have never tried before and finding healthy recipes that have never been on my plate. It also means failure from time to time. This past week, that failure was my Tabbouleh Salad. I found the cucumber far too bitter, as I had left the skin on, and the flat leaf parsley was also pretty yuck. Very, very bitter. I immediately went to my refrigerator and tossed it. The red onion was far too strong overall. I decided to save what was left for a different dish, as it goes extremely well in my black bean salad.
I tried, I mean really tried to like my first attempt at Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. The lemon and olive oil dressing was spot on, and the tomatoes were pretty good, but to actually be able to enjoy the dish called for pulling out some stops and deviating slightly from the original recipe.
This afternoon, I pulled out what I had available. I had half of a cucumber, half a pint of leftover rainbow-colored cherry tomatoes, a few sprigs of mint, a lemon, and something I'd never tried before: capers. They were an impulse buy in the pickle section the other day, as I'd always heard of them but never tried them. I looked them up, learned how to properly used them, and tasted one. As much as I dislike olives, they are probably the closest thing to an olive I have ever tasted and actually liked! Right then and there, I knew they were going in.
This time, I salted the quinoa water a little more liberally and added lemon juice to it. I peeled and seeded the cucumber, mixed up a little salt and pepper into my lemon/olive oil dressing, eased way back on the amount of mint I used, and set aside a Tablespoon or so of the capers. Once the quinoa had cooled, I again mixed up the salad while some chicken breasts liberally seasoned with Cavendar's Greek Seasoning roasted in the oven. Once everything was mixed up, I again jarred the salad in pint jars, put them in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld, and crossed my fingers.
Oh. Em. Gee!
The salad was a tiny bit on the salty side, but it was delicious! The chicken being slow oven roasted was the perfect companion. I only put about 2 ounces on the side because quinoa is a protein powerhouse. I was delighted with the flavor of the capers which permeated the whole of the salad, and served as a perfect foil to the coolness of the cucumber and acidity of the tomatoes. This is certainly going to be a dish I come back to again and again!
I decided to post in the Weight Watchers community about my dislike of olives, but my love for capers. Another member suggested I try a soup called Colombian Ajiaco, as it is served with capers. It's a chicken and potato soup, and from research, it's apparently traditionally popular in Bogota. I love the fact that it is made with ingredients I am mostly familiar with. The only thing I have not tried is an herb called guascas. Considering that many seasonings used in Hispanic cooking are bitter, which is not my favorite flavor at all, I am considering using bay leaves or oregano, which the poster of the recipe I found states are suitable substitutes.
I am truly not picky. Like anyone else, there are a few foods I will definitely turn my nose up at. Liver, olives, black licorice, and even Miracle Whip top my list of least favorite foods. Otherwise, I'm pretty much open to darn near anything. Except maybe flat-leaf parsley, now. Nasty, bitter stuff...
I tried, I mean really tried to like my first attempt at Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. The lemon and olive oil dressing was spot on, and the tomatoes were pretty good, but to actually be able to enjoy the dish called for pulling out some stops and deviating slightly from the original recipe.
This afternoon, I pulled out what I had available. I had half of a cucumber, half a pint of leftover rainbow-colored cherry tomatoes, a few sprigs of mint, a lemon, and something I'd never tried before: capers. They were an impulse buy in the pickle section the other day, as I'd always heard of them but never tried them. I looked them up, learned how to properly used them, and tasted one. As much as I dislike olives, they are probably the closest thing to an olive I have ever tasted and actually liked! Right then and there, I knew they were going in.
This time, I salted the quinoa water a little more liberally and added lemon juice to it. I peeled and seeded the cucumber, mixed up a little salt and pepper into my lemon/olive oil dressing, eased way back on the amount of mint I used, and set aside a Tablespoon or so of the capers. Once the quinoa had cooled, I again mixed up the salad while some chicken breasts liberally seasoned with Cavendar's Greek Seasoning roasted in the oven. Once everything was mixed up, I again jarred the salad in pint jars, put them in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld, and crossed my fingers.
Oh. Em. Gee!
The salad was a tiny bit on the salty side, but it was delicious! The chicken being slow oven roasted was the perfect companion. I only put about 2 ounces on the side because quinoa is a protein powerhouse. I was delighted with the flavor of the capers which permeated the whole of the salad, and served as a perfect foil to the coolness of the cucumber and acidity of the tomatoes. This is certainly going to be a dish I come back to again and again!
I decided to post in the Weight Watchers community about my dislike of olives, but my love for capers. Another member suggested I try a soup called Colombian Ajiaco, as it is served with capers. It's a chicken and potato soup, and from research, it's apparently traditionally popular in Bogota. I love the fact that it is made with ingredients I am mostly familiar with. The only thing I have not tried is an herb called guascas. Considering that many seasonings used in Hispanic cooking are bitter, which is not my favorite flavor at all, I am considering using bay leaves or oregano, which the poster of the recipe I found states are suitable substitutes.
I am truly not picky. Like anyone else, there are a few foods I will definitely turn my nose up at. Liver, olives, black licorice, and even Miracle Whip top my list of least favorite foods. Otherwise, I'm pretty much open to darn near anything. Except maybe flat-leaf parsley, now. Nasty, bitter stuff...
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Food Focus: Middle Eastern Tabbouleh
This week, I made tabbouleh salad. From a quick peek on Google, it appears this dish originates from Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Since I have actually eaten this dish commercially prepared before, I am not trying it for the first time, but it is the first time it's graced my kitchen. I made a few little changes in the spirit of experimentation. First, deviating from the recipe I found here, I added cucumber for that cool, distinct flavor, and traded out the standard red tomato for some heirloom-style cherry tomatoes I found. They are neat mix of colors and delicious blend of flavors. I remember mint being in the original salad. I couldn't get curly parsley from Walmart tonight, so I bought flat leaf parsley. It's be quite the same, but meh. Flexibility is sometimes key. I settled on tri-color quinoa to add even more color depth and visual interest, as well. Since I forgot the scallions, I used an extra shallot I bought tonight.
I am still scratching my head on that curly parsley. I mean, was there a sudden run on it? I mean, this is South Carolina, not exactly the center of health and well-being when it comes to food. Not knocking my beloved home state, but we are better known for our fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and peach cobbler! Too, parsley was never a huge part of our weekly grocery budget. No one in my family even cared about garnish, only filling their bellies.
Anyway, on to the final verdict on the tabbouleh salad! The quinoa needed quite a long time to cool, as I left it in the little saucepan I made it in. I got so tickled by the colors!
Pretty huh? Yes, there's a little extra water around the edges, but it soaked in while the quinoa cooled.
I'm flabbergasted by how bitter flatleaf parsley is... The mint, however, smelled divine when I was chopping it up. The cucumber? Well, next time I am going to take the time to seed it. I think it would not only give a nicer, cleaner feel, but the seeds aren't all that tasty. Also, the different colored tomatoes are nice, but I would like to try cluster tomatoes next time. Maybe even roma tomatoes. At this time of year, tomatoes are generally grown in hothouses. Not the ideal flavor to be had. I am looking forward to the bounty of the Farmer's Market next year!
I packed the completed salad into four blue, wide-mouth, pint mason jars and closed them with the white plastic lids made for mason jars I found at Walmart a few years ago. The plastic lids prevent metal lids and rings from degrading from acids and oils, and they have a pretty nice, tight fit. I tasted the salad after I finished packing the jars. The flat-leaf parsley is super bitter. However, the contrast to that is the bright flavor of the lemon juice. I juiced a whole lemon and added the same amount of olive oil in a bowl, whisked it up, and drizzled it over the salad, mixing it well. I am hoping as the salads sit that the flavors will mix and meld better and that the parsley's bitterness eases up.
I will most definitely not be using flat-leaf parsley again. I'll try curly parsley next time. If it is just as bitter, I am pretty certain parsley won't grace my tabbouleh again. That being said, I will continue to experiment. This time I used big, standard cukes, but next time I will try the smaller, fancy cucumbers in hopes they are sweeter. I will also use scallion greens rather than shallots. The shallots are ok, but very strong here.
I look forward to the next Food Focus!
I am still scratching my head on that curly parsley. I mean, was there a sudden run on it? I mean, this is South Carolina, not exactly the center of health and well-being when it comes to food. Not knocking my beloved home state, but we are better known for our fried chicken, shrimp and grits, and peach cobbler! Too, parsley was never a huge part of our weekly grocery budget. No one in my family even cared about garnish, only filling their bellies.
Anyway, on to the final verdict on the tabbouleh salad! The quinoa needed quite a long time to cool, as I left it in the little saucepan I made it in. I got so tickled by the colors!
Pretty huh? Yes, there's a little extra water around the edges, but it soaked in while the quinoa cooled.
I'm flabbergasted by how bitter flatleaf parsley is... The mint, however, smelled divine when I was chopping it up. The cucumber? Well, next time I am going to take the time to seed it. I think it would not only give a nicer, cleaner feel, but the seeds aren't all that tasty. Also, the different colored tomatoes are nice, but I would like to try cluster tomatoes next time. Maybe even roma tomatoes. At this time of year, tomatoes are generally grown in hothouses. Not the ideal flavor to be had. I am looking forward to the bounty of the Farmer's Market next year!
I packed the completed salad into four blue, wide-mouth, pint mason jars and closed them with the white plastic lids made for mason jars I found at Walmart a few years ago. The plastic lids prevent metal lids and rings from degrading from acids and oils, and they have a pretty nice, tight fit. I tasted the salad after I finished packing the jars. The flat-leaf parsley is super bitter. However, the contrast to that is the bright flavor of the lemon juice. I juiced a whole lemon and added the same amount of olive oil in a bowl, whisked it up, and drizzled it over the salad, mixing it well. I am hoping as the salads sit that the flavors will mix and meld better and that the parsley's bitterness eases up.
I will most definitely not be using flat-leaf parsley again. I'll try curly parsley next time. If it is just as bitter, I am pretty certain parsley won't grace my tabbouleh again. That being said, I will continue to experiment. This time I used big, standard cukes, but next time I will try the smaller, fancy cucumbers in hopes they are sweeter. I will also use scallion greens rather than shallots. The shallots are ok, but very strong here.
I look forward to the next Food Focus!
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
A Well Equipped Kitchen
The other day, my husband was digging around in our utensil drawer and held up one from the very back.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Oh! That's a zester. You take the peel from citrus fruits with it."
"But do you ever use it?"
It was an eye-opening question. I haven't used that zester in years. Until tonight, when it was needed for a recipe from my first Hello Fresh box.
I started thinking about how cluttered my kitchen and dining room are. I have all sorts of gadgets and whatsits, and I don't use them all very often, but they all come in handy. Many of my gadgets are to provide convenience when my time is short, or to make cooking a hands-off experience, such as my slow cooker.
Tonight while meal prepping for the next few days, this is what I used:
I am very grateful for a well equipped kitchen, especially now. As I experiment with recipes and learn how to eat in a healthier way for life, I have plenty of modern conveniences to do so with.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Oh! That's a zester. You take the peel from citrus fruits with it."
"But do you ever use it?"
It was an eye-opening question. I haven't used that zester in years. Until tonight, when it was needed for a recipe from my first Hello Fresh box.
I started thinking about how cluttered my kitchen and dining room are. I have all sorts of gadgets and whatsits, and I don't use them all very often, but they all come in handy. Many of my gadgets are to provide convenience when my time is short, or to make cooking a hands-off experience, such as my slow cooker.
Tonight while meal prepping for the next few days, this is what I used:
- sharp paring knife
- cutting board
- zester
- stainless steel quarter sheet pan
- non-stick frying pan
- large stainless steel pot
- wooden spoon
- stainless steel tongs
- pint size canning jars
- plastic food storage containers
- sandwich bags
- quart size freezer bags
- small mesh strainer
- large strainer
I am very grateful for a well equipped kitchen, especially now. As I experiment with recipes and learn how to eat in a healthier way for life, I have plenty of modern conveniences to do so with.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Switching Gears
So, yeah, I've been away for quite some time. Basically, I fell off the keto wagon and gained back every bit of the weight I had lost plus almost five more pounds. Yuck.
I did some hard thinking this past week. Considering I've been paying for Weight Watchers and not using it, I decided to check out the site again. I was so shocked! Their Zero Points list has expanded to a whopping 200 items. This includes very lean meats, eggs, non-fat dairy, and beans among other things. I felt an instant spark and energy return to my wish to lose weight and feel great.
My favorite grocery store, Bi-Lo, closed a few month ago. To think that I went through a literal depression over it. I'm not as blue as I was, but I do miss them! Now I check the ads for Lidl (which opened in my town very recently), Food Lion, and Piggly Wiggly. I made a list of each store's sale items for the week and built a menu based on the sales. Then I crossed out all of the sale items that didn't make the menu cut and hit the road to shop. My favorite sales were for cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and 99% fat free ground turkey.
I had no idea that when I was making out my menu, I would be planning for quite so much food! It really is a lot of food, and I need to keep that in mind when I make my next menu plan. I literally spent most of the day meal prepping. I am severely out of practice, so I need to streamline the process. This coming week's meal plan:
Breakfast: chucks of cantaloupe and honeydew with red seedless grapes and strawberry halves.
Snack: Protein Fruit and Veggie Bistro Box
Lunch: Pita with turkey bacon, thin sliced turkey meat, red onion, tomato, cucumber, red leaf lettuce, dijon mustard, and light olive oil mayo.
Dinner: Lean pork chop, asparagus, and sweet potato.
Snack: Skinny Stuffed Bell Pepper (recipe to be posted soon!)
See? It is a LOT of food, and based on the Freestyle plan with a totally new Zero Points list, my day's points total only comes in at 17. That includes 2 tablespoons of real butter used in cooking!
I decided I am ok with drinking skim milk and eating nonfat Greek yogurt, but I won't skimp on butter, as I still feel margarine is bad, and I won't use low fat cheese, either, as it just doesn't taste like cheese. I'll be increasing my water intake from 64 ounces to at least 90. I will also be taking a daily multi-vitamin. I will not be weighing in every week. In fact, I am going to try to only weigh in about once a month, so my focus is not on the scale, but rather on how my clothes fit and how my joints feel. I will allow myself a pseudo-cheat day once in a while, staying within weekly points.
Over the next few weeks, I will be fine-tuning my menus so that I don't dread eating huge amounts of food, as it seems I always over-plan. Feeling satisfied is good. Feeling stuffed is not so good. Last time I did WW, I was so focused on finding low point foods that I was struggling to meet my points every day rather than going over them. I'd like to find a happy medium.
The reason I have decided to no longer do keto is simple: I felt far too hemmed in. Sure, I loved the bacon and cheese and cream cheese, but I knew that eating even a single piece of bread could potentially throw me out of ketosis. This girl loves potatoes, grits, and bread, and I refuse to throw out an entire food group to satisfy any diet plan. Weight Watchers is about developing a healthy relationship with food, not about severely restricting any one food group. That being said, I am striving to move to healthier whole grains in the process. I've made steps in that direction already by planning to use brown rice over white. The next time I go shopping, I'll be adding in whole wheat pasta or bread.
Another thing I plan to try is to go a little outside of my comfort zone and try new foods. While I know it is not exactly WW friendly, I decided to try a box from Hello Fresh, which should be here Friday, I hope! I sat down for a couple of hours last night and recalculated the servings for each meal. Two of them will be split into three servings instead of two, which brings the points down to a manageable level. The third meal, a one-pot pasta deal, was split into four, and will be used as a side with tilapia. The first week is only costing me about $25, so I call that a win! All I'll need to purchase is some eggs, fresh fruits, and some lettuce and tomatoes for my next week.
I am truly excited abut starting anew tomorrow!
I did some hard thinking this past week. Considering I've been paying for Weight Watchers and not using it, I decided to check out the site again. I was so shocked! Their Zero Points list has expanded to a whopping 200 items. This includes very lean meats, eggs, non-fat dairy, and beans among other things. I felt an instant spark and energy return to my wish to lose weight and feel great.
My favorite grocery store, Bi-Lo, closed a few month ago. To think that I went through a literal depression over it. I'm not as blue as I was, but I do miss them! Now I check the ads for Lidl (which opened in my town very recently), Food Lion, and Piggly Wiggly. I made a list of each store's sale items for the week and built a menu based on the sales. Then I crossed out all of the sale items that didn't make the menu cut and hit the road to shop. My favorite sales were for cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and 99% fat free ground turkey.
I had no idea that when I was making out my menu, I would be planning for quite so much food! It really is a lot of food, and I need to keep that in mind when I make my next menu plan. I literally spent most of the day meal prepping. I am severely out of practice, so I need to streamline the process. This coming week's meal plan:
Breakfast: chucks of cantaloupe and honeydew with red seedless grapes and strawberry halves.
Snack: Protein Fruit and Veggie Bistro Box
Lunch: Pita with turkey bacon, thin sliced turkey meat, red onion, tomato, cucumber, red leaf lettuce, dijon mustard, and light olive oil mayo.
Dinner: Lean pork chop, asparagus, and sweet potato.
Snack: Skinny Stuffed Bell Pepper (recipe to be posted soon!)
See? It is a LOT of food, and based on the Freestyle plan with a totally new Zero Points list, my day's points total only comes in at 17. That includes 2 tablespoons of real butter used in cooking!
I decided I am ok with drinking skim milk and eating nonfat Greek yogurt, but I won't skimp on butter, as I still feel margarine is bad, and I won't use low fat cheese, either, as it just doesn't taste like cheese. I'll be increasing my water intake from 64 ounces to at least 90. I will also be taking a daily multi-vitamin. I will not be weighing in every week. In fact, I am going to try to only weigh in about once a month, so my focus is not on the scale, but rather on how my clothes fit and how my joints feel. I will allow myself a pseudo-cheat day once in a while, staying within weekly points.
Over the next few weeks, I will be fine-tuning my menus so that I don't dread eating huge amounts of food, as it seems I always over-plan. Feeling satisfied is good. Feeling stuffed is not so good. Last time I did WW, I was so focused on finding low point foods that I was struggling to meet my points every day rather than going over them. I'd like to find a happy medium.
The reason I have decided to no longer do keto is simple: I felt far too hemmed in. Sure, I loved the bacon and cheese and cream cheese, but I knew that eating even a single piece of bread could potentially throw me out of ketosis. This girl loves potatoes, grits, and bread, and I refuse to throw out an entire food group to satisfy any diet plan. Weight Watchers is about developing a healthy relationship with food, not about severely restricting any one food group. That being said, I am striving to move to healthier whole grains in the process. I've made steps in that direction already by planning to use brown rice over white. The next time I go shopping, I'll be adding in whole wheat pasta or bread.
Another thing I plan to try is to go a little outside of my comfort zone and try new foods. While I know it is not exactly WW friendly, I decided to try a box from Hello Fresh, which should be here Friday, I hope! I sat down for a couple of hours last night and recalculated the servings for each meal. Two of them will be split into three servings instead of two, which brings the points down to a manageable level. The third meal, a one-pot pasta deal, was split into four, and will be used as a side with tilapia. The first week is only costing me about $25, so I call that a win! All I'll need to purchase is some eggs, fresh fruits, and some lettuce and tomatoes for my next week.
I am truly excited abut starting anew tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Egg Fast Day 3
I spent about 2 hours in the kitchen tonight. I had planned to make Snickerdoodle Crepes for my breakfast for the next two days, but I'm all cooked out. Instead, I made cream cheese pancakes, which will be a good substitute, even if a little less flavorful, and I'll make the crepes on Thursday to eat this weekend. One large pack of chicken wings became basic baked chicken wings for my mom, daughter and husband, and Classic Buffalo Wings for me. I also packed up four servings of No Chop Chili and made cheddar crisps to go with that. I cut the thin deli style cheddar into four pieces, placed the squares on parchment paper, and baked them at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes. This crisped them wonderfully without burning them, and they really do taste like Cheez Its. The only thing I have left to make tonight is the Buffalo Omelette, which I now will call Buffalo Burritos.
I don't know if I'll be posting again until next week. I tend to get beyond tired and antisocial after a few shifts. I don't know what changed, but while I was in school for three years, life happened. I lost touch with friends, spent more and more time alone, and that became a way of life. I do most of my socializing at work now and I am more than happy to just network with immediate family while at home. After several 12 to 13 hour shifts of smiling, pouring compassion out, and hours of total nursing, I am pretty burnt out. Enough of that though!
I have four days of transition planned from the egg fast, after which I plan to do three days of Atkins Induction. After that, if I feel good about it, and if the scale doesn't move in the wrong direction, I'll move up to Phase 2 again. I'm not seeing a massive loss on the scale, but my clothes do fit differently, and I am noticing that I have to hitch my jeans up every few minutes. I'd wear a belt, but my jeans have tiny little loops. I don't own a tiny little belt. Heck, I don't own belts. My days are more about comfort while wearing my tshirt out or pajamas. They don't even have to match.
The hubby asked me tonight if I'd be doing the egg fast again. The simple answer is yes. I was surprised not to be totally sick of eggs by now, and I figure if I get to a standstill on my weight for more than three weeks, it will be time to think of the fast again. The biggest surprise is I haven't had gas. I have a coworker that eats huge amounts of protein, since he body builds, and he eats a lot of eggs. His gas is horrific. He has no sense of smell either. We've learned the art of keeping a straight face around strong or strange odors, though, so no huge issue. I am just super glad not to be gassy! The only boiled eggs I have eaten are the deviled eggs, and even those didn't give me gas. Chalk that off as a win. Regardless, any time I choose to do this fast again will require three straight days off for the first few days of the fast, mostly because I hate cooking on work days.
What I ate/will eat today:
Breakfast: keto custard, BPC
S: string cheese
L: three fried eggs, BPC (yes, I know I am only supposed to have one cup!)
S: cheddar "chips"
D: buffalo omelette "burritos"
Not nearly enough water.
In any case, the only thing I have not eaten yet is the Buffalo burritos, and I don't plan to make those until later. As it is likely most of the household will be asleep, I won't be using my magic bullet, but I bought the cutest little whisk set ever for just such an occasion. Time to throw my laundry in the dryer, and then put my feet up and play some Starbound, my newest Steam obsession.
I don't know if I'll be posting again until next week. I tend to get beyond tired and antisocial after a few shifts. I don't know what changed, but while I was in school for three years, life happened. I lost touch with friends, spent more and more time alone, and that became a way of life. I do most of my socializing at work now and I am more than happy to just network with immediate family while at home. After several 12 to 13 hour shifts of smiling, pouring compassion out, and hours of total nursing, I am pretty burnt out. Enough of that though!
I have four days of transition planned from the egg fast, after which I plan to do three days of Atkins Induction. After that, if I feel good about it, and if the scale doesn't move in the wrong direction, I'll move up to Phase 2 again. I'm not seeing a massive loss on the scale, but my clothes do fit differently, and I am noticing that I have to hitch my jeans up every few minutes. I'd wear a belt, but my jeans have tiny little loops. I don't own a tiny little belt. Heck, I don't own belts. My days are more about comfort while wearing my tshirt out or pajamas. They don't even have to match.
The hubby asked me tonight if I'd be doing the egg fast again. The simple answer is yes. I was surprised not to be totally sick of eggs by now, and I figure if I get to a standstill on my weight for more than three weeks, it will be time to think of the fast again. The biggest surprise is I haven't had gas. I have a coworker that eats huge amounts of protein, since he body builds, and he eats a lot of eggs. His gas is horrific. He has no sense of smell either. We've learned the art of keeping a straight face around strong or strange odors, though, so no huge issue. I am just super glad not to be gassy! The only boiled eggs I have eaten are the deviled eggs, and even those didn't give me gas. Chalk that off as a win. Regardless, any time I choose to do this fast again will require three straight days off for the first few days of the fast, mostly because I hate cooking on work days.
What I ate/will eat today:
Breakfast: keto custard, BPC
S: string cheese
L: three fried eggs, BPC (yes, I know I am only supposed to have one cup!)
S: cheddar "chips"
D: buffalo omelette "burritos"
Not nearly enough water.
In any case, the only thing I have not eaten yet is the Buffalo burritos, and I don't plan to make those until later. As it is likely most of the household will be asleep, I won't be using my magic bullet, but I bought the cutest little whisk set ever for just such an occasion. Time to throw my laundry in the dryer, and then put my feet up and play some Starbound, my newest Steam obsession.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Egg Fast Day 2
This morning, I briefly stepped on the scale. Keeping in mind that water fluctuations can cause weight fluctuations, I was still pretty pleased. 168.8 is nothing to sneeze at. That tiny little .4 made me smile. When I passed the mirror this morning, I finally saw the difference. My face is thinner, my belly is not sticking out as far, and my clothes are fitting better. The place where my stomach folds over at the bottom is not as deep, and when I stand straight, it isn't folded over touching.
I actually ate my breakfast before I went to bed this morning. This time I fried my eggs on the stove instead of using my electric skillet and the difference was wonderful. The yolks didn't have to be broken, they weren't a floppy mess, and they were beautifully done. I used a sugar free steak seasoning and it was just the thing to make my eggs super yummy. I also found out when I ate my lunch today that refrigerated deviled eggs should be left at room temperature for a while before eating them. They taste much better!
Since I have to make my wings tomorrow night for Wednesday and Thursday, I decided to make the custards tonight. The problem? I followed the recipe and there was a little batter left over. I made three batches total and poured the batter into 8 ounce glass, oven safe containers I found from Walmart. Not true ramekins, but they'll do. The batter was pretty thin, so the custard didn't set in the time I was supposed to bake them. It took one hour, but they look beautiful. Lightly brown on top. A little jiggly. Smells delicious. It's gonna be so hard to wait to eat them!
I feel a little sorry for the hubby. He's not low-carbing it, so I am not letting him partake in this, but I will have to make him some traditional custard.
There was a bit of batter leftover, and I made a mistake with it. I decided to put it in a saucepan and try heating it up on the stove, stirring constantly. I knew the moment I messed up. The mixture went from thickened and creamy to grainy. I broke the custard. It came out with an awful texture, but the taste was okay.
Later tonight, I am going to make a modified version of the buffalo omelette. I'll update on how it goes.
UPDATE:
The modification worked out perfectly! I used my electric skillet, which doesn't even need butter or oil when cooking, cut the omelette recipe by a third, and made three egg "pancakes". When they were done, I used only half of the cream cheese mixture and spread it evenly over each piece, then rolled them up. It was just enough heat and just creamy enough to satisfy. It was even hubby approved. I am full without being stuffed, which is so much better than I felt last night.
So this is what I ate today:
Breakfast: two eggs fried in butter
Snack: string cheese and BPC
Lunch: four deviled egg halves
Snack: half of a serving of keto custard without the sauce
Dinner: 2 egg "pancakes" spread with half the buffalo cream cheese
After dinner: another cup of unsweetened BPC
Still not totally sick of eggs at the moment! That is the very best thing.
The sad moment for me tonight: I cut the corner of my mom's door thinking to pick on the dog a little and see if he wanted to come sit on the loveseat with me. I saw the empty spot where he would be, and it hit me all over again. I do miss him so much. I really wish I could hold him and hug his neck one more time and look to see him looking back adoringly with those big, beautiful brown eyes.
I actually ate my breakfast before I went to bed this morning. This time I fried my eggs on the stove instead of using my electric skillet and the difference was wonderful. The yolks didn't have to be broken, they weren't a floppy mess, and they were beautifully done. I used a sugar free steak seasoning and it was just the thing to make my eggs super yummy. I also found out when I ate my lunch today that refrigerated deviled eggs should be left at room temperature for a while before eating them. They taste much better!
Since I have to make my wings tomorrow night for Wednesday and Thursday, I decided to make the custards tonight. The problem? I followed the recipe and there was a little batter left over. I made three batches total and poured the batter into 8 ounce glass, oven safe containers I found from Walmart. Not true ramekins, but they'll do. The batter was pretty thin, so the custard didn't set in the time I was supposed to bake them. It took one hour, but they look beautiful. Lightly brown on top. A little jiggly. Smells delicious. It's gonna be so hard to wait to eat them!
I feel a little sorry for the hubby. He's not low-carbing it, so I am not letting him partake in this, but I will have to make him some traditional custard.
There was a bit of batter leftover, and I made a mistake with it. I decided to put it in a saucepan and try heating it up on the stove, stirring constantly. I knew the moment I messed up. The mixture went from thickened and creamy to grainy. I broke the custard. It came out with an awful texture, but the taste was okay.
Later tonight, I am going to make a modified version of the buffalo omelette. I'll update on how it goes.
UPDATE:
The modification worked out perfectly! I used my electric skillet, which doesn't even need butter or oil when cooking, cut the omelette recipe by a third, and made three egg "pancakes". When they were done, I used only half of the cream cheese mixture and spread it evenly over each piece, then rolled them up. It was just enough heat and just creamy enough to satisfy. It was even hubby approved. I am full without being stuffed, which is so much better than I felt last night.
So this is what I ate today:
Breakfast: two eggs fried in butter
Snack: string cheese and BPC
Lunch: four deviled egg halves
Snack: half of a serving of keto custard without the sauce
Dinner: 2 egg "pancakes" spread with half the buffalo cream cheese
After dinner: another cup of unsweetened BPC
Still not totally sick of eggs at the moment! That is the very best thing.
The sad moment for me tonight: I cut the corner of my mom's door thinking to pick on the dog a little and see if he wanted to come sit on the loveseat with me. I saw the empty spot where he would be, and it hit me all over again. I do miss him so much. I really wish I could hold him and hug his neck one more time and look to see him looking back adoringly with those big, beautiful brown eyes.
Running the Gamut
Today has been such a mixed day emotionally. I had a little victory, and our family had a big loss.
I guess good news and a descriptor of my diet today first. All in all, I stuck pretty well to the egg fast, having switched the meals around. I gotta say, maybe it was not a good idea to fry my eggs or make my omelette in my electric skillet. The butter browned way too fast, and the eggs were a pain to flip. Too, the buffalo omelette is just too large for me, and it would have been better with a little less filling. I plan to modify it a bit by splitting the egg mixture up into three parts and making thin, smaller "pancakes". I'll decrease the filling by half and spread it thinly over the eggs and roll them up. It wasn't bad.It was just very rich, and I was only able to finish about two-thirds of it. The deviled eggs were AMAZINGLY good... I may never make them the way I used to again. Just a hint of spice and a lovely tang.
This is what I ate today:
Breakfast: two eggs fried hard, one cup of Bullet Proof coffee.
Snack: string cheese
Lunch: two easy deviled eggs (that's four halves)
Snack: string cheese
Dinner: buffalo omelette
Late evening: Bullet Proof coffee lightly flavored with Torani sugar free caramel syrup
Main drink: water, water, and more water!
A total of roughly 6 eggs. And I ain't even mad about it.
My weigh-in is typically Sunday evenings. This evening I stepped up on the scale and saw a number I have not seen since before I started nursing school in 2013: 169! This makes me incredibly happy. My hope is to lose four to five pounds on the fast and then ease back into eating Induction for a week or two, and then go back into Phase 2. I am really hoping the weight loss stays a loss after I come off the fast!
Now, for the bad news. I woke up late this morning and my husband made me sit on the couch. I knew immediately something was wrong. The vet had called my mom last night full of hope and asking if we wanted to come visit Barney today. I was a bit skeptical. He suffered terrible separation anxiety, and I didn't want him to feel double abandoned. This morning, he unexpectedly passed away.
Oh, my heart. I ache physically from the heartache. We did so want him to come home. Apparently the diagnosis last week of vertigo was wrong. They think he had a stroke, and that last night he had a massive one that closed his sweet brown eyes forever. The blessing is that he is no longer in pain and never will be again, but we miss him ever so much. A dog is not just a dog. A dog is family, and our hearts will be scarred. When God made dogs, He made animals so full of love and loyalty that it's astounding. Oh, my heart...
I guess I'll be back again tomorrow or Tuesday to update on the fast.
I guess good news and a descriptor of my diet today first. All in all, I stuck pretty well to the egg fast, having switched the meals around. I gotta say, maybe it was not a good idea to fry my eggs or make my omelette in my electric skillet. The butter browned way too fast, and the eggs were a pain to flip. Too, the buffalo omelette is just too large for me, and it would have been better with a little less filling. I plan to modify it a bit by splitting the egg mixture up into three parts and making thin, smaller "pancakes". I'll decrease the filling by half and spread it thinly over the eggs and roll them up. It wasn't bad.It was just very rich, and I was only able to finish about two-thirds of it. The deviled eggs were AMAZINGLY good... I may never make them the way I used to again. Just a hint of spice and a lovely tang.
This is what I ate today:
Breakfast: two eggs fried hard, one cup of Bullet Proof coffee.
Snack: string cheese
Lunch: two easy deviled eggs (that's four halves)
Snack: string cheese
Dinner: buffalo omelette
Late evening: Bullet Proof coffee lightly flavored with Torani sugar free caramel syrup
Main drink: water, water, and more water!
A total of roughly 6 eggs. And I ain't even mad about it.
My weigh-in is typically Sunday evenings. This evening I stepped up on the scale and saw a number I have not seen since before I started nursing school in 2013: 169! This makes me incredibly happy. My hope is to lose four to five pounds on the fast and then ease back into eating Induction for a week or two, and then go back into Phase 2. I am really hoping the weight loss stays a loss after I come off the fast!
Now, for the bad news. I woke up late this morning and my husband made me sit on the couch. I knew immediately something was wrong. The vet had called my mom last night full of hope and asking if we wanted to come visit Barney today. I was a bit skeptical. He suffered terrible separation anxiety, and I didn't want him to feel double abandoned. This morning, he unexpectedly passed away.
Oh, my heart. I ache physically from the heartache. We did so want him to come home. Apparently the diagnosis last week of vertigo was wrong. They think he had a stroke, and that last night he had a massive one that closed his sweet brown eyes forever. The blessing is that he is no longer in pain and never will be again, but we miss him ever so much. A dog is not just a dog. A dog is family, and our hearts will be scarred. When God made dogs, He made animals so full of love and loyalty that it's astounding. Oh, my heart...
I guess I'll be back again tomorrow or Tuesday to update on the fast.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Oops
The last few days have been days of blunders, both intentional and non-intentional. I am going to tattle on myself. Yes, I am going to tell you how NOT healthy I have been eating and what I am about to do to get back on track.
So, Wednesday night, I didn't pack much of a lunch. I decided I needed to grab something, so I headed downstairs to the Subway in our cafeteria before it closed. I decided to get a BMT salad. Basically it's pepperoni, salami, and ham (I think). I wandered over to the cooler and grabbed a sugar free Snapple, and then it happened. My eyes came across something that I really, really wish hadn't been there. Our kitchen was offering miniature citrus bundt cakes. My resolve and willpower crumbled. So, in addition to mostly eating a healthy dinner, I caved to carbs in the worst way possible. I knew I shouldn't, even as I was filling my mouth with that delectable bittersweet taste. I felt horribly guilty.
After I got home, I had all intentions of getting a few hours of sleep and then planning my next week of meals before hitting up the grocery store. It turns out that my mom's dog (for some reason, he's chosen me for his person) was horribly sick. We thought it was just vertigo. It ended up being much worse. (He is, in fact, in the animal hospital recovering as I write this. Not sure exactly what happened yet, but we're hopeful for full recovery.) In any case, I didn't get a few hours of sleep. For roughly 24 hours, I was up and down with him, giving him medicine, trying to feed him, taking him out to potty or to his water bowl to drink. In that time, I grabbed a couple of cheese sticks, and that was Thursday's meals. Friday, I slept a few hours. I had a microwaveable Atkins meal and a couple of cheese sticks. That was it. Today, again, I was horribly tired and just vegged on the couch until this evening. I finally took the hubby out and had a half of an omelet and a small side salad before going to the grocery store.
This was NOT a healthy few days!
I have decided to do a somewhat altered version of the I Breathe I'm Hungry Egg Fast. As the author says, you can follow it in any way you choose, so I am going to. I am not sure how well it is going to go over reheating some of these dishes at work, but we will have to see! I'm not gonna lie though... I am really looking forward to the alfredo and chicken wings later on!
The plan is to follow the fast from day three rather than day one. I am off the next three days, work Wednesday, off Thursday, and working the whole weekend. This means I need to be careful about how I plan. Work is my weak point! I have found myself hungrier from boredom mixed with periods of sudden stress more than from anything else. I'll hit the grocery store on my way home Thursday morning, and cook Thursday night for the weekend. I haven't figured out what to eat for the week after the fast, so some planning is in order! In the meantime, I am drooling thinking of wings and celery. Nom nom nom...
So, Wednesday night, I didn't pack much of a lunch. I decided I needed to grab something, so I headed downstairs to the Subway in our cafeteria before it closed. I decided to get a BMT salad. Basically it's pepperoni, salami, and ham (I think). I wandered over to the cooler and grabbed a sugar free Snapple, and then it happened. My eyes came across something that I really, really wish hadn't been there. Our kitchen was offering miniature citrus bundt cakes. My resolve and willpower crumbled. So, in addition to mostly eating a healthy dinner, I caved to carbs in the worst way possible. I knew I shouldn't, even as I was filling my mouth with that delectable bittersweet taste. I felt horribly guilty.
After I got home, I had all intentions of getting a few hours of sleep and then planning my next week of meals before hitting up the grocery store. It turns out that my mom's dog (for some reason, he's chosen me for his person) was horribly sick. We thought it was just vertigo. It ended up being much worse. (He is, in fact, in the animal hospital recovering as I write this. Not sure exactly what happened yet, but we're hopeful for full recovery.) In any case, I didn't get a few hours of sleep. For roughly 24 hours, I was up and down with him, giving him medicine, trying to feed him, taking him out to potty or to his water bowl to drink. In that time, I grabbed a couple of cheese sticks, and that was Thursday's meals. Friday, I slept a few hours. I had a microwaveable Atkins meal and a couple of cheese sticks. That was it. Today, again, I was horribly tired and just vegged on the couch until this evening. I finally took the hubby out and had a half of an omelet and a small side salad before going to the grocery store.
This was NOT a healthy few days!
I have decided to do a somewhat altered version of the I Breathe I'm Hungry Egg Fast. As the author says, you can follow it in any way you choose, so I am going to. I am not sure how well it is going to go over reheating some of these dishes at work, but we will have to see! I'm not gonna lie though... I am really looking forward to the alfredo and chicken wings later on!
The plan is to follow the fast from day three rather than day one. I am off the next three days, work Wednesday, off Thursday, and working the whole weekend. This means I need to be careful about how I plan. Work is my weak point! I have found myself hungrier from boredom mixed with periods of sudden stress more than from anything else. I'll hit the grocery store on my way home Thursday morning, and cook Thursday night for the weekend. I haven't figured out what to eat for the week after the fast, so some planning is in order! In the meantime, I am drooling thinking of wings and celery. Nom nom nom...
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
A Rare Event, Warm, and Fed!
South Carolina got snow today! Where I live we got around 3 inches at least. It won't stick around for long tomorrow, but it was so lovely. There is something that stirs the soul when the world gets quiet and starts to turn white. Everything is transformed into a white, blank slate, and nothing is quite familiar. I adored watching the flakes fall steadily for several hours. We never lost power, thankfully, and the hubby got home early (school got out early for the kidlets), and my daughter's workplace called to tell her the snow was getting too bad, so she didn't have to go in. Score and score!
I started belatedly thinking about supper. Nothing was thawed and everyone was getting little hungry. I was thinking maybe steak, but my daughter doesn't eat steak, so that was out. I looked at a 2 1/2 pound pork roast and my heart fell as I realized it was a solid piece of ice. To thaw would take forever, and to put into the oven would take hours. Then I remembered I had an Instant Pot.
I seasoned the icy block of pork, placed it into the instant pot on the trivet, added some water, sealed it, and set it for 40 minutes. An hour later, we had a savory, fully cooked roast that tasted wonderful! I was pretty impressed. It even got done before the scalloped potatoes! Yes, I love my Instant Pot. It is the best thing ever!
If anyone were to ask me for the single most important piece of advice I could give with the Instant Pot, it would be to order extra sealing rings as soon as possible. The yogurt I made earlier this week was divine, but it has a faint flavor of bell peppers from the soup I made first. It's not quite enough to put me off from eating it, but close. I thoroughly wash the sealing ring and lid every time I use the Instant Pot, but it still carries the scent of the dishes made in it. Because scent is tiny particles of the item, it makes sense that the flavor would be imparted to the yogurt. Therefore, no more yogurt until I have new rings. One ring will be for all of my savory items, one for yogurt only, and one for the rare sweets I may make. I'll also order backups for later.
I have to work all weekend, so I won't be using my Instant Pot again until next week, but I sure will be looking for new and interesting ways to do so. It's a life saver and a joy to use. I'll also enjoy the snow one more time before I go to sleep in the morning, after the sun comes up and gilds it with it's golden glow.
I started belatedly thinking about supper. Nothing was thawed and everyone was getting little hungry. I was thinking maybe steak, but my daughter doesn't eat steak, so that was out. I looked at a 2 1/2 pound pork roast and my heart fell as I realized it was a solid piece of ice. To thaw would take forever, and to put into the oven would take hours. Then I remembered I had an Instant Pot.
I seasoned the icy block of pork, placed it into the instant pot on the trivet, added some water, sealed it, and set it for 40 minutes. An hour later, we had a savory, fully cooked roast that tasted wonderful! I was pretty impressed. It even got done before the scalloped potatoes! Yes, I love my Instant Pot. It is the best thing ever!
If anyone were to ask me for the single most important piece of advice I could give with the Instant Pot, it would be to order extra sealing rings as soon as possible. The yogurt I made earlier this week was divine, but it has a faint flavor of bell peppers from the soup I made first. It's not quite enough to put me off from eating it, but close. I thoroughly wash the sealing ring and lid every time I use the Instant Pot, but it still carries the scent of the dishes made in it. Because scent is tiny particles of the item, it makes sense that the flavor would be imparted to the yogurt. Therefore, no more yogurt until I have new rings. One ring will be for all of my savory items, one for yogurt only, and one for the rare sweets I may make. I'll also order backups for later.
I have to work all weekend, so I won't be using my Instant Pot again until next week, but I sure will be looking for new and interesting ways to do so. It's a life saver and a joy to use. I'll also enjoy the snow one more time before I go to sleep in the morning, after the sun comes up and gilds it with it's golden glow.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Pucker Up, Buttercup!
Almost as soon as I woke up today, I checked in on my yogurt. As soon as it was done fermenting yesterday, I laid a "flour sack" towel into a colander (one thickness), carefully wrapped it up, and tied the whole shebang with a piece of plastic wrap. Today, I was delighted to open the towel and find a thick, creamy lump about the consistency of cream cheese. A half gallon of milk yielded a little less than a quart of yogurt and a little more than a quart of whey. I was a little sorrowful to pour the whey out, but it's got a lot of carbs due to high sugar content, even if it is packed with protein as well. The flavor was super sour! It tasted very little like store bought yogurt, but it did taste quite a bit like the starter I used: Powerful Whole Fat Greek Yogurt
Why choose whole fat? Well, I know that most folks would choose a lower fat to eat more, but a small amount of this is packed with flavor and it helps up my fat content. I have not figured out the nutritional counts, but I am going to figure in a half cup to be about 6 net carbs. Acceptable. I ended up freezing most of the leftover store bought yogurt to use as starter pucks.
I have a couple of mini goals set for housework today. I am washing laundry, and since we can't take the trash off until tomorrow (local recycling center is closed), I can't mop my floor, but I can sweep it. I don't want to set goals I may fail at, so these are my goals:
1) Fold and put away all laundry done today and prior to today.
2) Sweep the kitchen and dining room floors.
3) Clean off the bathroom counters.
4) Sort the small freezer (above the fridge).
5) Sort the fridge.
Anything beyond that is gravy, in my humble opinion.
So today I am going to also set up my meals through tomorrow night since I have to work. If I get to the store I am going to fry some bacon and make cabbage. I saved enough ham to make a couple of decent meals. The bone was too well cooked for me to make anything with, but the hubby saved me a cup of the ham juice. Will be good for seasoning veggies with.
Anyway, super pleased with how the yogurt turned out, and looking forward to feeling some satisfaction getting these mini goals done!
Why choose whole fat? Well, I know that most folks would choose a lower fat to eat more, but a small amount of this is packed with flavor and it helps up my fat content. I have not figured out the nutritional counts, but I am going to figure in a half cup to be about 6 net carbs. Acceptable. I ended up freezing most of the leftover store bought yogurt to use as starter pucks.
I have a couple of mini goals set for housework today. I am washing laundry, and since we can't take the trash off until tomorrow (local recycling center is closed), I can't mop my floor, but I can sweep it. I don't want to set goals I may fail at, so these are my goals:
1) Fold and put away all laundry done today and prior to today.
2) Sweep the kitchen and dining room floors.
3) Clean off the bathroom counters.
4) Sort the small freezer (above the fridge).
5) Sort the fridge.
Anything beyond that is gravy, in my humble opinion.
So today I am going to also set up my meals through tomorrow night since I have to work. If I get to the store I am going to fry some bacon and make cabbage. I saved enough ham to make a couple of decent meals. The bone was too well cooked for me to make anything with, but the hubby saved me a cup of the ham juice. Will be good for seasoning veggies with.
Anyway, super pleased with how the yogurt turned out, and looking forward to feeling some satisfaction getting these mini goals done!
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