Getting back in the Saddle..

This week has been filled with days to relax and reflect.. I can't believe I am 3 years post op.  My check up went well, except..I need to take off a few little pounds that have crept back on..(I am still under goal, so at least I'm not out of control.).  I have formed an accountability team.. and have started exploring my old habits to find out where I have fallen off the proverbial wagon.  I know I don't exercise remotely enough. So, I have put together my gym bag and vow to walk at lunch time.. and maybe just go to the gym after work.  I am going to start trying to get more protein back in my diet..maybe have a protein snack before bed.   I also know I have to curb my sweet tooth.  That whole everything in moderation business has gotten completely out of hand. I don't eat enough of the good stuff. Yep.. and what I do eat, sometimes it's just not as healthy as what it needs to be. So, here I am, ready to change.

In anticipation of changing my ways.. I have dusted off my ice cream freezer and my magic bullet and I am ready to get back on track and lose these last few pounds! So, I have put together a soft ice cream recipe that has become what I would say my favorite base for protein ice cream. This is the first of hopefully many nights of protein low sugar ice cream.. I will post as I decide that they are blog worthy. Yes.. I am stingy!! This recipe has the consistency of home made ice cream. The creaminess, the grain.. it's all there. And the taste is there.. the most important part!!

Strawberry Ice Cream
1/2 c Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 c CinnaBon International Coffee creamer
1 scoop Vanilla Protein
1/4 c sliced strawberries (divided)

Whir first 3 ingredients in a blender.  Add 1/8 c strawberries process in blender until chopped. Process in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions.  When ice cream is frozen, add remaining 1/8c strawberries.

Pumpkin Praline Granola ~ DELISH!

I will confess..I love granola in my yogurt. Plain and simple.  I need that crunch.. I love the extra flavor.. Since I have an obsession with granola, I decided that I needed to start making my own for one reason:  the stuff on the shelves is high high high in sugars!! So, my quest for SF granola began.. just in time for me to find this recipe on the blog by my BE friend, Linda (thanks Linda!).. and then I tweaked it a bit to be more like my taste.. and thus was born (drum roll please!)

Pumpkin Praline Granola

1/4 c pure pumpkin puree (not the pie mix!)

1/4 c Hazelnut flavored Agave

1/3 c Whey Low Gold (you could use Splenda granular, not Splenda Brown, it has real sugar)

3 T Sugar Free Praline DaVinci Syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1 egg yolk

2 T Pumpkin Pie Spice mix (more or less to your taste)

1/4 t Kosher salt

3 c old fashioned oats (not quick cooking kind)

1 c chopped pecans (or walnuts)

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, agave, whey low, praline syrup, egg yolk, spice and salt.
Stir in the oats and nuts, and mix well until all flakes are coated.

Preheat oven to 275.  Coat a 11 inch cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray and spread the oat mix evenly.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until deep brown, stirring every 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.  Store in an airtight container. 

Makes approx. 15 servings (1/4 c each)

stats per serving :  Cals 135, Fat 8g, Net Carb 16g, Sugars 8g, Protein 6g

2 years? Where did the time go??

Can't believe today is my 2 year surgiversary! Down 175 lbs today.. whew! Time flies when you are having fun. I think back to where I was 2 years ago and I am so thankful for being able to turn my life into something way more fun, meaningful and productive. 
In the past two years, I have:

• Lost 175lbs.. well.. 180 but then there was that bounce factor.. lol.  I really would like to be about 10lbs smaller.. but if I ever have plastic surgery, I'll probably lose that 10 pretty easily.
• Had my gall bladder removed.. pesky thing.. glad it's gone.. sortof.
• Started leading an exercise class at Weston Church of Christ.. it's open to the public and FREE!
• Started exercising more than 1x per year.. yep..more like 2-3x per week as a "I'm exercising" and more if you count all the running around I do.
• I wrecked my car by hitting a telephone pole. Looking back, that was the start of some really bad luck.. but I am over it and it won't control me.. right? I make the future what it needs to be. With God's will and help that is.
• Lost my job.. yep.. it sucks, but I can't wait to see what career the future holds.. Glad I am a slimmer person so that I can avoid that discrimination factor that everyone ignores is there.
• I am a size 8 some days and and size 12 some days.. I love whatever size I am.. it's great! It's not the size of your pants, but the size of your self esteem!! :) Mine's pretty big today.. the esteem that is!  My goal size was 12.. from a 24/26 and today, I put on my size 10 jeans.
• I have begun writing a book and a cookbook.. yep. It's coming soon-hopefully! Comment if you want to be notified!
• I love to have my pic taken. Amazing.. I know.

I am sure there are other wonderful things that I am not able to remember right now.. The mind is the first thing to go ya know.

So.. on to food.  Today I had a new recipe for lunch.. (no pics.. sorry!)

Ranch Chicken Salad

4oz chicken breast, cooked and diced

2 T cucumber, diced

2.5oz Fage 0% Greek yogurt

1/2 c Hellman's lite

4 T from a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix

Mix the Yogurt, Hellmans & Ranch dressing.  Mix in chicken and cukes and enjoy.. however.. the longer it sits (like over night) the better it is. It's good right out of the bowl when you are finished too!

Well all, share the love! Have a great March 11th!
Love you all!

Weekend.. here we come!

This week has been an incredibly busy one.. how come being unemployed makes the days go even faster than when you are employed? There are never enough hours in the day.. for sure!!  Last weekend, I went to Tennessee to see my sister and her family.  Had a great time. Left her some Click! Protein because, let's be honest, there is just too much caffiene for this little lady, but she needs it since she has 3 kiddos!  She likes it and is using it as her "sweet" while she is doing the Atkins thing.  When I got home, I started in on the whole making food thing.  This week has been a cooking frenzy. Lot's off goodies for sure. Lot's of protein happening in my life.  My hubby has some IBS and he even commented that he's been feeling better this past week since we have been eating healthier! WOW! I feel like I have made a difference. 
I am trying to get so much done these days, in case I get a job soon and all.. Been working on new recipes for the better part of the evenings too.   I am so ready for the weekend though, spending time with my hubby and doing fun things.  What have you been up to friends?  I find that I spend a ton of time on the internet.. I gotta give up that addiction soon. I've been working on spring cleaning..yuck. Trying to tie up my brain cells so I don't think about that job interview I had last week or how much time I've already been unemployed. I have been trying to use this "vacation" time wisely. I have never NOT worked.. While in high school I had a pizza shop job.. ahh.. good times there.. and then I worked 2 jobs the summer after graduation. Went to college full time and started working at the bank, almost full time there too.  So, I believe everything happens for a reason and this little respite is something that I needed and never would have taken otherwise. I get paid severance, so financially, God has seen I am taken care of.  I have time to complete all those projects on my "to do" list plus ones that have come up.  I have been building my craft show business and expanding in ways that I wouldn't be able to if I had been working.. I get to have snow days when the weather is bad. In my book, life is still good, no matter what.  I do want to go back to work, don't get me wrong, but this chapter of my life is going along just fine in my book..

You know when you have that moment when you know one chapter of your life is over and a new one has begun?  I am so there.

This week's menu highlight was Chicken Parm for WLS Folks.. anyone can eat it, but it's soo good for us WLS people! My version is based on a recipe I found on my support group board!  I made the hubby some spaghetti noodles and he was a happy camper!

Chicken Parm, WLS Style

4 boneless chicken thighs
1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups prepared Spaghetti Sauce, lower the sugar the better.. or make your own! (see below)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray cooking oil in a 9x9 glass baking dish, put 1/2 c of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom and then set aside. Heat oil on medium heat in medium frying pan. Dip each thigh into the egg and then place thigh into the bread crumbs, on one side only.  Put breaded thigh into hot oil, crumb side down.  Cook 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.   Place browned thighs crumb side up in prepared baking dish.  Cover browned thighs with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with mozzarella and parm.  Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melty and chicken is cooked through.

Nut Info:  Cal 333 Fat 11g Carb 25 (will be less with low sugar sauce) Protein 32g
My Sauce:
2 T olive oil
1/2 c onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 small can tomato paste
basil & oregano, to taste

Heat oil in frying pan, add onion & garlic. Saute until onion is transluscent.  In a sauce pan add tomatoes, paste and herbs.  Add in onion n garlic. Simmer 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  I add various in season veggies and puree until smooth.

Here comes the Blizzard!!

Now..I'm not talking about a Dairy Queen delight with millions of calories that I used to believe were worth it.. no, I am talking about a real live, storm as big as the Blizzard of 78 storm.. I am unemployed as of late, so I had all day to work on preparing for the storm.  Forcasters have been telling us for days that we were going to be getting 10"-20" of snow and ice too.  The just couldn't tell us who was getting the most ice.. and the most snow. Winter Storm warnings started Monday.. Blizzard Warnings were brought on today.  Where I am sitting right now seems to be in this small pocket of "could go either way".. we live really close to the county line for the Blizzard.. ugh.  So anyway.. back to the preparations! Yesterday, I made Stuffed Shells for my hubby and a dish of just the ricotta filling for me.. and I forgot to take pictures.. sorry. Then I made a crockpot of Beef Stew. I can't wait to dig into that! I'll post pics when we do!  I also made some Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I experiemented with the recipe, and I didn't get it right. Better luck next time. They are still tasty!

Crockpot Beef Stew

4 T Olive Oil

1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed

2 T butter or margarine

4 T flour, divided

2 cans low sodium beef broth

1 c carrots, sliced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 c corn (fresh or frozen is best, but canned is just as good!)

1 small onion, diced

1/2 t  dried oregano

1/2 t parsley flakes

1/4 c barley

Salt N Pepper, to taste

Place carrots, potatoes, corn and onion in a medium crockpot and turn crockpot on low. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Dredge stew meat in 2 T flour and brown in oil, processing in batches if need be.  When all meat is browned, remove from skillet and place in crock pot with the veggies.  Place butter in hot skillet that you just browned the meat in and stir until melted.  Add in remaining 2 T of flour.  Stir together and cook until flour is a light brown.  Whisk in about 1 cup of the beef broth to make a thin gravy and add in salt, pepper, parsley and oregano. Cook until bubbly.  While the gravy simmers, add remaining beef broth to crockpot. Add hot mixture to crockpot and stir.  Cook on low 5 hours.  Add in Barley using more if the broth is too thin. Cook an additional 2 hours or until barley is cooked and sauce is thick.

You are worth it! Believe!

The past few months I have been trying to work on my listening skills.. I have been listening to the world around me to see how I can make a difference.   At my support group, there are several people who are "works in progress" just like me.. some on them have high energy and are constantly smiling and some are asking questions that make me wonder how I can help them gain more self esteem and be the most successful post op they can be.  Our support group is an open question/answer forum with pre-ops & newbies being encouraged to ask questions that the veterans or the nurse facilitator can answer.  Last month, one of the ladies asked how you deal with all the extra skin.  I replied.. SPANKX! Another one asked how to keep accountable when you feel like you haven't lost any more weight and your clothes are not fitting any different.  My suggestion was to be diligent about taking pictures and measurements so you can look back at where you have been. Hang a picture of you that you used to like on your mirror.  Chant "I am beautiful then.. and I am beautiful now." Several people gasped at my suggestion.. so I told them about my journey.. and how I and posted pictures on my Facebook account so I could keep track of me, for me.  Yes, other people can see it.. they can comment.  All feedback to date has been so uber-positive and so uplifting, I don't see that I would have taken my journey any other way.  Several people started whispering. What did I say wrong?!? That kind of made me mad.. but then as I look back on it.. I shouldn't be. What I heard was a question asked, what I didn't see is that wasn't the real question.. The real question was "How can I love me no matter what?"  That question is better left to professionals.. not me!  I try to help where I can.

You are more than food, stronger than a craving, more complicated than a habit, & more thoughful than a mindless eater...

Powerful quote I found at the eye doctors office the other day.. It kind of hit me between the eyes. See..lots has been going on in my life.. We made it thru the holiday's relatively unscathed.  I found a couple of  low sugar cookie recipes to make my belly happy & waistline the same size. I didn't gain any weight thru the holidays either! YEAH.  Then.. the ball dropped.. I went to the doctor a couple of days after Christmas only to find that I needed to have my gall bladder out, so I just had it removed this past Wednesday. In between all the surgery mess, I lost my job of 18 years.  It moved to another city.. I did not. There were 3 of us that were let go for "reduction in workforce" & yes, we did get severance.. but those token gifts didn't make any of us feel better.  Jobs are scarce here in Northwest Ohio. BUT I am a positive attitude kind of girl, so I say, "What the Heck" and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.   
Now.. back to the quote.. it made me think about me.  I was never a emotional eater, but I was somewhat a bored eater.  My job kept me focused on my goals and grounded me enough to attain them.  I was always super busy and the timers on my computer reminded me to eat and drink and take my vitamins.  Since I don't have that crutch anymore,  I have also been working on eating better and getting back into the swing of the vitamins and proteins & relying on my memory to tell to me when to take it.  I know I am not getting enough of either.  I am resolving to use my fitday.com account to calculate my calories, protein intake and vitamins daily.    I am also going to try to post here daily now.. pics and all.. to keep me accountable. 

Well..I have been tinkering around with the idea of writing a book and a cook book for a long long time.. now's the time to begin!  Let me know if you try my recipes, and what you think. They are always a work in progress..and suggestions are welcome!

Here's today's offering..

Cottage Cheese Parfaits

Makes 1 serving

1/2 c fat free, small curd cottage cheese (I like Meijer Brand)

2 T mandarin oranges

1 T Sugar free raspberry preserves

1 T ground Flax meal

Nutritional Stats: Calories 140, Fat 2 grams, Carbs 15grams (net) (only 8 sugars), Protein 14 grams

So, my question to you is this, what are you "more than, stronger than, complicated than, and thoughtful than?"