Prairie KnitWit cooks and shrinks .

The Early Bird Gets the Cinnamon Roll

2011-11-20T10:06:00.001-06:00

I woke up at 0530 this morning. I couldn't get back to sleep. I got up, played Sims on Facebook, watched a DVR'd episode of Extreme Home Makeover and then decided I had time to make a really great Sunday Brunch. I got out my bread machine and made coffee while the appliance kneaded my dough. I made quite a few modifications to an existing recipe that I need to record them so I can make these again. They are really, really good.

I started with this recipe.
I then made the following modifications:

I subbed out 1 1/2 cups of white flour and used whole wheat instead.
I mixed the sugar, butter, and brown sugar together to make a paste. I added about 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the mixture.*
I sprinkled a few cinnamon flakes* and finely chopped pecans over the bun dough before rolling up.
I was out of cream cheese so I blended a mixture of soft margarine (three tablespoons? I didn't measure), the juice and zest of half an orange, a splash of vanilla extract and enough icing sugar to make it spreadable (2? 3? cups) to glaze the warm rolls.

*I found xanthan gum and cinnamon flakes at my local health food store. I am sure the cinnamon flakes are not crucial to the success of the buns, but I felt like there was not quite enough filling so I added them since they were in my cupboard already. The xanthan gum is a food thickener that worked really well to keep the filling from melting out of the buns during the baking process.

Maple-ish apple butter

2011-09-15T08:56:00.000-05:00

6 1/2-7 lbs apples, cored and quartered
4 cups apple cider or apple juice (try to use the cloudy, not from concentrate juice)**
2-3 cinnamon sticks and or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup white sugar
1 cup real maple syrup

Place apples and juice in a very large pot. Add cinnamon sticks. Place on stove and bring to a boil. Decrease heat and simmer, covered for 1/2 hour, until apples are tender. Remove cinnamon sticks. Run apple mixture through a food mill or strainer to remove peels. Return mixture to pot (you should have around 12-14 cups of applesauce) Add sugar, maple syrup, allspice, and ground cinnamon if you didn't use cinnamon sticks. Return sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered for 2-3 hours, until mixture is very thick and mounds on a spoon. Stir frequently. (alternatively, you can put the apple sauce mixture in your crock pot, set to LOW and let it simmer overnight.)

This is my food mill set up. One of the best wedding gifts I received!

Ladle into sterile jars, add lids and rings, and process in boiling water for five minutes.

I filled 6-250 ml* jars and one 500 ml jar around 2/3 full. (that one was not put in the canner, and was set on the counter to cool for immediate consumption.)

*Yes, my recipe uses imperial mesurements to fill metric jars. That's what happens when you live in Canada sometimes.

**The next time I make this I will probably reduce the apple juice by half as I had very watery sauce that took until suppertime to cook down.

***If you are new to canning, you can freeze this apple butter in containers for future use, or check out this website to get more information. I used a combination of my grandmother and a book they published to teach myself how to preserve food 9 years ago and haven't looked back. (I also really love their slogan: "Because you can!")

***In case you don't read the comments, my friend Carolyn (and giver of the apples I used in this recipe) offered these helpful tips: When using the crockpot, you should prop the lid open using a wooden spoon or something. It takes about 12-14 hours that way. A 500 ml jar is about a pint (2 cups).

I swirled a spoonful of this butter into my oatmeal this morning with a dollop of vanilla-flavoured greek yogurt and had one of the best breakfasts I have had in a very long time.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-28T11:19:00.001-05:00

Here is my menu plan for the week, in no particular order

Healthy Breaded Shrimp with warm vegetable salad
Meatloaf with Feta Apple Salad (and probably mac and cheese for the rest of the family too)
Steak Sandwiches with vegetables and dip
Slow cooker Pizza Chicken with garlic toast
Big pan of nachos for the family, taco salad for me
Spaghetti
Buffet*

*if you are just joining us, Buffet is my code word for laying out the leftovers on the counter and letting everyone choose what they want.*

Running

2011-06-27T10:29:00.001-05:00

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." -- John Bingham

I am back on the Couch to 5K plan. I missed running. I found out that over a winter of back to back illnesses I lost my conditioning and didn't know how to run without triggering my asthma. I am now on week 3 of this program and am feeling good. I have an app for my phone so I just chug along until the little bell dings in my ear so I don't even have to watch a clock, which is great. I can zone out and just go.

I have also added in a boot camp-style training program to build up some muscles. It is a hard three-day-a-week program that goes on for six weeks, so some weeks I drop my third weekly run and only manage to get two in.

For me, managing a workout program involves walking the tightrope of pushing myself hard enough to see results, but not too hard to trigger an asthma attack. I also have to leave enough in my tank to carry groceries and laundry during the rest of the day. (A great reason to do my workout first thing in the morning: the rest of my day keeps me moving enough that I can "actively recover" and not be too sore the next day)

I am not getting on the scale. I am watching my biceps blossom and my legs get sculpted. I find I crave healthy food when I am active so I am letting my body tell me what to eat.

I think it's working.

Menu Plan Tuesday: Summer Food!

2011-06-14T11:39:00.000-05:00

The temperatures are climbing here. The sun has shown it's face a few times. Here is my summery meal plan this week:

Taco Pasta Salad (I cooked the onions with the beef and added black beans and corn. It was a hit)
Grilled Italian Sausages with Panzanella salad.
Marmalade-soy marinated chicken wings with rice? mashed potatoes?
Crab quiche
Broccoli beef stir fry
Buffet

I have a lot of talents....

2011-03-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

....Pastry is not one of them. Today I decided I wanted to try a recipe for home made Pop Tarts I had been eyeing up for quite some time.

Suzanne McMinn
and
Deb Perelman

make it look so easy and delicious. They fooled me into thinking I could strike a truce with Pastry. Pastry and I have never gotten along. I cannot roll a pie crust out in one piece to save my life. I usually leave it up to the experts: Grandma Jean and Richard. Maybe I am a bit crazed because Spring Break has started and it is still cold and snowy outside and the thought of having the kids home with me for the week has me panicked. Maybe I still haven't recovered my marbles from losing them to sleep deprivation at the Sparks sleepover this past weekend.

I chose Deb's recipe and dove in. I could get the dough rolled out (with many breaks outside to let it firm up while rolling) but when it came time to transfer my little squares (measured with a RULER, people!!!) they folded up and got all mushy. I quickly lost patience with all of this. I decided to make mini pop tarts and tried to put a dab of filling at one end and then fold the pastry over, pirogi-style. (Pirogi dough and I are not best friends either, for the record) The dough didn't co-operate. After fiddling with this for a the first few squares, I gave up and decided that free-form jam tarts were the order of the day. I smooshed the uncooperative dough into a circle, put a dab of filling in the center and then smooshed the edges in. They sure aren't pretty but the kids don't care. I am quite disappointed. I probably overworked the dough or something, but the pastry is crumbly and turns to mush in my mouth. It is too salty.

I am not going to make these again.

PS: Please click the links I provided at the beginning of the post to find out what my culinary creations were supposed to look like.

Before baking

They don't look much better after!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-03-21T10:41:00.000-05:00

Here we are again, another Monday, another Meal Plan. I chose two tried and true cookbooks from my expansive collection this week, plus took one recipe from the new Kraft magazine that was sitting in my mailbox this morning. The books used are: Taste of Home New Slow Cooker: The Best Recipes for Today's One Pot Meals and Looneyspoons by Janet and Greta Podleski

Slow cooker Hamburger vegetable soup with biscuits
Sausage pepper sandwiches
Mandarin orange chicken (or maybe lemon dill chicken...I have the ingredients for both in my pantry)
Weenies and Beenies from the Looneyspoons cookbook
Tuna topped baked potatoes
Garlic and herb linguine

As always, these recipes are in no particular order. We are having the hamburger soup tonight since Monday is almost always a slow-cooker day because of our tight schedule around dinner time.

Breakfasts this week are oatmeal, toast, muffins, or eggs. I decided last week to stop buying cereal for breakfast because two of the kids will only eat half of their serving, no matter what the serving size. I was literally pouring money down the drain every morning since cereal is so expensive! As much as I am loathe to buy it, Charlotte is loving instant oatmeal right now and there was a good sale at the grocery store this weekend so that is what she is eating.

Lunches are a combination of dinner leftovers, mac and cheese, sandwiches and soup, and giant salads for me.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-03-14T14:18:00.000-05:00

I know this is terrifically boring blogging, but I am finding it nice to have all of my weekly menus in one spot. So, in no particular order, here is what is for dinner this week in the Knitwit House:

Vegetable Stew over Mashed Potatoes (I am sure the kids will hate this, but a girl has to try)
Beef Burrito Skillet*
Asian Beef with Baby Bok Choy
Capn' Crunch Chicken Fingers and Butternut squash fries **
Baked Chicken Penne
Buffet

* To make up for the veggie stew and baby bok choy
** Do you think the kids will notice they are eating squash if they chicken coated in Capn' Crunch to distract them??

Menu Plan Saturday

2011-02-19T15:46:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning and looked at the half carton of milk we had in the fridge and realized I would have to go to the store today. After a cup (or three) of coffee I suddenly remembered the long weekend we are at the start of. That meant I probably needed to get more than just milk today.

I hate buying groceries on a Saturday more than you could know. Added to my stress was the fact that the grocery store I shop most often at is under renovations so every trip there is like a scavenger hunt where they keep moving the clues around on you every time you go. I sucked it up. I put on my big girl panties and trekked out since I knew the "nice" grocery store in town would cost me a lot more money. Richard stayed home with the kids so that made things a bit easier. I also spent enough to get the "free" gift this week which was a nice bonus. (Who doesn't need an extra 30 rolls of toilet paper? OK, maybe households with fewer people than mine, but really. Our toilet paper consumption is crazy)

Anyway, this is a long story for a short menu plan!

Here goes:
Saturday: Buffet**
Sunday: Oven fried cod fillets and potatoes of some sort
Monday: Sausage stuffed spaghetti squash
Tuesday: Lemon Chicken and rice
Wednesday: Pasta fagioli soup
Thursday: Hamburgers and Sweet potato fries
Friday: Who knows? It's my birthday and I am not cooking! (OK, it might be buffet for the kids and husband, sushi with the girls for me)

**Buffet is code for leftovers in my house

Toffee Apple Oatmeal cookies

2011-02-18T17:22:00.000-06:00

I whipped these up today. I adapted another oatmeal and cereal cookie recipe to fit what I had in my cupboard.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
2 cups unpacked brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
1 cup toffee chips (like Skor chips)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F, line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together fats and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix flour with baking soda and salt. Blend into sugar mixture. Stir in oats. Carefully stir in cereal and toffee chips (you don't want to break the cereal up too much)

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on racks and devour with a big glass of milk, hot tea or coffee.

Yield: approx 3 - 4 dozen cookies

**I am going to try adding chopped dried apples to my next batch to get even more apple flavour into the cookies**

Menu Plan Monday

2011-02-14T09:25:00.000-06:00

Sausage and vegetable medley
Stuffed Chicken breasts
Java Pot Roast
Chicken Salad Panini and vegetable soup
Beef and Bean tacos
Pasta fagioli soup

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-31T08:51:00.000-06:00

Hello again! This menu is brought to you by Hub's freakout over our recent credit card bills. I am not saying these meals are especially budget-friendly, but I am saying that this week I have to make my shopping list and stick to it. There have been too many impulsive trips to the grocery store lately. As we all know, a "quick stop for milk" can sometimes end up turning into several bags of unplanned things. I am going to try very hard to make my list and stick with it.

Chicken soup with dumplings and brownies for dessert
Hamburgers with raw veggies on the side
Tuna Noodle casserole
Beef stir fry with brown rice
Spaghetti and sauce
Hawaiian-style slow cooked ribs

If you need some more ideas to spruce up your family meals check out some other Menu Plan Monday posts at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Check in Wednesday.

2011-01-19T09:02:00.001-06:00

Hello everybody! So, let's just get the bad news out of the way: I am up two pounds this week, which cancels out my entire loss so far. It is a good thing I am not using this challenge to lose weight as much as I am using it to get me into a regular workout routine. That, I did fantastically on.

So, yes. There was a birthday party this week. There was some unauthorized snacking. I am not going to let that get me down because this weekend I worked out for an hour (30 min Power Sculpt DVD + 2 mile run on the treadmill), and then a friend called and invited my family to go sledding with hers. My legs were already sore and tired but I said yes anyway. Taking three kids sledding for an hour is hard work!! So, I feel like that was a triumph in and of itself. I was sore for the next two days, but I only took one off from my workouts and got back on the treadmill even though I didn't really want to. That is why I am doing this. To make my body strong and healthy so I can take my kids sledding, even after I have worked out.

Here are my stats:
Starting Weight: 159.6
Last week's weight: 157.8
Today's weight: 160.0
Gain: +2.2
Total Gain: +0.4

Weekly Accumulated Miles: 7.27 plus 30 min strength training (according to Run Like a Mother 10 min cross training = 1 mile so you could say I "ran" 10.27 miles this week)

I am so proud of myself for finally learning to fit exercise into my day (that almost always means stepping away from the computer). It is so easy for me to talk myself out of getting on the treadmill, but then once I tell myself "just 15 minutes" after 35 I am kicking myself because I feel so good. Why do I always try to sabotage that??? And dude, I ran one mile farther than I did last week! The 10K I have my eye on this spring is feeling like it could happen.

How was your week??

Check in Wednesday

2011-01-12T08:50:00.000-06:00

Is it Wednesday already? I had another good week. I am getting over my chest cold so I got a couple of good runs in. I am drinking my water and getting back into the habit of having a big salad for lunch.

I think in addition to the obligatory weigh in I am also going to record my weekly miles here as well. I keep track at a website called RunKeeper, and it is very motivating to see the miles pile up under my shoes.

All right, here are my stats for this week:

Starting weight:         159.6

Last Week's weight: 159.0
This Week's Weight 157.8
Loss                           1.2
Total Loss:                    1.8

Accumulated Weekly Miles: 6.31

How was your week?

Running with the Sisters.

2011-01-09T10:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was supposed to run a Virtual 5K with the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. My body had other ideas. Starting around Jan 1 I came down with the sniffles. The sniffles got worse and worse and started moving into my chest. I pushed through my workouts, being careful not to irritate my exercise-induced asthma. By this past Thursday I was coughing hard. I barked like a seal all night on Friday, finally giving in to some cold meds so I could get some sleep. This didn't leave me feeling very strong yesterday (heck, standing up in the shower made me a bit dizzy because I was so tired) I rested yesterday and took my Vitamin D and C. I actually had a good sleep last night and didn't cough. So, today, to show my support for The Sisterhood who has been with me through all of my ups and downs, I got on my treadmill and did 3.52 miles (5.66K) with a little help from my embarrassing play list (Weird Al and Hanson, anyone?) and my salbutamol inhaler.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was also quite inspired by Jim Carrey's recent apperance on the Jimmy Fallon show, where he did his entire interview from a treadmill.

I am SO bummed I couldn't run with everyone else yesterday, but today I stopped the pity party, laced up my shoes and just kept on going.

Check in Wednesday.

2011-01-05T13:56:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!

Today is check in day. My first week back on the wagon has gone pretty well. I stuck to my commitment of not snacking pretty well--I fell off the wagon twice, but one night I was SO hungry my stomach was growling. I reached for a bowl of cereal with milk while my husband plowed through a box of chocolate covered cherries. Not too shabby! I have exercised three times, twice on the treamill (named Jillian) and once with a DVD. I still need to increase my water intake, though.

Here are my numbers:

Last week's weight: 159.6
This week's weight: 159.0
Loss: 0.6

It is nice to be in a downward-facing trajectory, even if I don't have a weight loss goal in mind. I am coming down with some sniffles so I am finding it all-to easy to talk myself out of working out today. I think that pushing the rug shampooer around my boy's room for 45 minutes (after moving all of the furniture out BY MYSELF) will count as today's workout. I sure worked up a sweat doing it!

Power of One, Part 2

2010-12-30T13:29:00.013-06:00

So, yesterday I recorded my weight for the world to see. Today, before I started my workout I snapped a picture to record my progress and grabbed my tape measure. I also went digging through my hard drive and found a couple of pictures I snapped before I started running last year. I am glad I have them to remind myself that even though the scale has not moved much, I have and my new muscles prove it.

Here are my numbers:
Bust: 37.5
Waist: 36
Hip: 39
Right Thigh: 22
Right Bicep: 12

Under the cut, you can see some pictures I took. Clearly, I still have a long way to go, but it is nice to see some visible change happening. In the first picture I was wearing size 12 jeans and now I am in 10s.

January. 2010

December, 2010

New Year, New Challenge

2010-12-29T08:49:00.000-06:00

Well, hello blog! Long time, no see!

There is a new challenge starting up at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

It is The Power of One Challenge.

Today's mission is to look my scale in the eye and then record my goals for the upcoming year. Well, I had a backslide and my weight has been creeping up and up and up. Of course this is not being helped by the steady diet of cookies, candy, and assorted other rich foods I have been living on for the past couple of weeks.

So, here goes.....

Previous weight: 155.8

Challenge starting weight: 159.6

My goals for the upcoming year:

1. Control my snacking.
2. Drink more water.
3. Exercise 3-4 days per week. I have great workout games for my Wii, a treadmill and an aerobic step and dumbbells. Weather can be no excuse for me.

You will probably notice a lack of weight loss goal. This is on purpose. I tend to fixate on weight in a very unhealthy way. I know that if I can get those other dominoes to fall into place, my weight will too. I need to focus on HEALTH and not a NUMBER.

Happy New Year!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-15T08:53:00.000-06:00

It's Monday again. Time to figure out what to feed my hungry crew.

Monday: Slow-cooker pot roast with potatoes and baby carrots

Tuesday: Farfalle with butternut squash (for my Milk Calendar Project)

Wednesday: Hot Turkey Sandwiches (Thanksgiving is long over so we aren't sick of turkey around here!)

Thursday: Cheeseburger Pasta

Friday: Chicken minestrone and garlic-cheese toast

Saturday: Leftover Buffet

Go to Orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas!

2011 Milk Calendar: Ginger-Lemon Beef and Broccoli

2010-11-15T07:37:00.000-06:00

Confession time: I decided to do this project after I made this dish so there is no picture, and I tweaked the recipe to fit my pantry (like all home cooks do). My sister-in-law stayed for dinner last night so I had to cook the beef separately because she is a vegetarian.

So, go check out the recipe here: Ginger-Lemon Beef and Broccoli. When you come back, I will let you know how I tweaked it and how it worked out.

Notes: OK, so I didn't have any fresh lemons on hand so I subbed the zest and juice out for orange zest and juice. I also didn't have six cups of broccoli on hand so I used a bag of frozen California Mix vegetables instead. I cooked the beef in a separate fry pan while I stir-fried the veggies and then gave the meat a splash of the sauce instead of mixing everything back together. This worked out really well and is a good way to serve carnivores and vegetarians together with very little fuss. I cooked plain spaghetti noodles to serve with the stir-fry, but rice would be great too. The grownups garnished their bowls with Sriracha sauce since I went light on the red pepper flakes for the kids.

The Verdict: Everyone gobbled it up and my husband commented that he really liked how the added milk added a creaminess to the stir fry sauce. I think it helped it stick to all the ingredients and noodles.

2011 Milk Calendar: Sweet Cornmeal Surprise Muffins

2010-11-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

I like baking on Sunday mornings. I love cornmeal muffins. I was really happy to try out this recipe.

Check out the recipe here: Sweet Cornmeal Surprise Muffins

My notes: I love how you soak the cornmeal while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients. It softens it up and takes away from the grittiness that corn muffins can sometimes have. You don't soak it so long that you lose the lovely crunch that a corn muffin has. I used Smuckers Double Fruit Strawberry Jam for the filling, but I am sure anything you have in your pantry would work well since the flavour of the muffin is so mild. I might add a dash of cinnamon next time I make them. I think cinnamon adds a nice flavour to almost any baked dish. I also think lining your muffin tin with cupcake liners instead of just spraying with nonstick spray is a must since you run the risk of jam leakage and sticking with this sort of baked good.

I must make small muffins since I got 15 instead of the 12 the recipe specified.

The Verdict: The muffin is moist, with a bit of crunch and the jam is a nice addition. You definitely don't need butter with these. Charlotte and Matthew gobbled theirs up.

A new project.

2010-11-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, like thousands (millions?) of other Canadians, I opened my weekend newspaper and the 2011 Milk Calendar fell out. I leafed through it immediately, making mental notes of the dishes that I wanted to try. There were a lot of them.

There are some really tasty looking dishes in this calendar. Of course, they all call for milk and other dairy products, so if you are lactose-intolerant or vegan perhaps you should stop reading now.

I have decided, in the spirit of The Julie/Julia Project and The Betty Crocker Project, I am going to breathe some life back into this blog (in a much less ambitious way) by making all 25 recipes in this calendar over the course of the next few months. The thought of taking on an entire cookbook feels rather daunting, but this, I can do. I have made two recipes so far, so stay tuned. I will give each recipe it's own post.

Menu Plan Monday--Clipping binder edition with bonus recipe!

2010-11-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

Hello blog! It's been a long time! I took some time off to be sick. I didn't feel like cooking when I was ill so the family lived on soup, sandwiches, pancakes....easy, quick and minimal cooking.

I am back, and this time I pulled one of my clipping binders off the shelf to make my menu. There was a reason I saved all of those recipes, right???

Monday--Cheeseburger soup*, bread from my bread machine (handwritten, I have no idea where I got it)
Tuesday--Psycho Chicken (Cooking Light, June 2002), steamed vegetables, buttered noodles
Wednesday--steak. sauteed mushrooms, blue cheese crumbles, mashed potatoes and steamed green peas.
Thursday--Pork Chop Suey (cheating...Eat, Shrink and Be Merry)
Friday--Salmon Loaf (my Mom's recipe)

Saturday--Balsamic chicken with caramelized onions (Woman's Day, Feb, 1999)

You can check out more menu planning ideas at I'm an Organizing Junkie

*Cheeseburger Soup
1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp parsley flakes (I am subbing in fresh)
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. basil
4 Tbs butter or margarine, divided
4 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in a large soup pot. Drain and set beef aside. Place pot back on heat and saute onions, carrots, basil, and dried parsley in 1 Tbs butter until tender. Add broth, potatoes, ground beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining 3 Tbs butter. Add flour. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes until bubbly. Add to soup and bring back up to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt, pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley if you didn't use dried.

Serves 4-6, I think.

Menu Plan Monday--Kid and Husband friendly edition.

2010-08-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

So, last week's menu did not go over very well with my family. Veggie lasagna night was met with tears by my children, the salmon made them gag, and the black bean and corn salad made hubby's tummy upset.

Ok. Fine. I will try to be even more stealthy with my healthy food.

Back to basics this week.

Shepherd's Pie (from my new Weight Watcher's Cookbook....don't tell)
Steak Sandwiches on ciabatta buns, raw veggies and dip
Panko-crusted chicken and steamed vegetables and oven fries
Roasted Chicken with twice-baked potatoes

Chicken fried rice

Menu Plan Monday--Pantry Clean-out Edition

2010-08-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

Following yesterday's post about my newly cleaned and organized pantry, here is this week's menu plan. I will be highlighting the ingredients for my meals that I found in the depths of my cupboards while I did my clean out.

Three Cheese Vegetarian Lasagna (lasagna noodles found in a dusty box, stewed tomatoes,canned spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and zucchini that were going South in my fridge, sundried tomatoes found at the bottom of the crisper)

Roasted Chicken, potatoes, steamed vegetables (all out of my pantry and freezer)

Chicken Fried Rice (brown rice, leftover roasted chicken)

Honey-Lime Salmon on black bean and corn salad (black beans and frozen corn)

Spaghetti Pie (wilting broccoli, whole wheat spaghetti)

Balsamic Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Mashed potatoes

Bonus dessert: Apple Pie bars

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans!

Pantry Clean Out

2010-08-22T14:21:00.000-05:00

This month's monday project has been to clean out your pantry. I didn't think to take before and after pictures, but I spent an afternoon spreading all of my food out on every available surface on my kitchen. I had hit my breaking point after one too many times of losing things I knew I had in there, and then going out and buying more.

As far as junk goes, I am happy to say there wasn't much to throw out. I keep one container of small candies in the pantry for the kids and that is about it. I did find out I don't need buy stewed tomatoes for a very long time! I had seven cans scattered throughout the shelves.

The cherry on the organizing cupcake for me will be printing out these adorable labels so I can mark all of my jars and canisters. I am nerd like that. I couldn't find the decal paper the instructions specify, so I settled for clear adhesive label paper (the full-sheet kind, not the ones pre-perforated)

Grown up Playdate.

2010-08-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

I met a friend at the playground this morning. She mentioned her afternoon plans involved a trip to the laundromat because of some home renovations that left her without a washing machine. I suggested that she bring her dirty clothes over to my house instead. My machines don't require quarters and her daughter would have kids and toys and a big yard to hang out in.

What did the grown ups do?

We dusted off my old pasta machine and cranked out some delicious noodles. So simple. So fun. Even the kids took turns making noodles. Emmett had a ton of fun making little shapes with the leftover bits of dough.

Sorry for the shocking lack of pictures. It is hard to take pictures and deal with wiggly noodles at the same time.

The recipe couldn't be easier.

Home made Pasta.

Ingredients:

1 lb semolina flour (I found mine at the bulk food store)
1 cup water (to start)

Directions:

Mix flour and water together, adding more water very sparingly if necessary to make a dry, pliable dough. Get right in there and knead for a good 10 minutes. The dough starts out very crumbly and gritty to the touch, but as the semolina absorbs the water it turns lighter in colour and becomes very soft and workable. The time goes by quickly when you are chatting with a friend! You will also notice your triceps getting a good workout.

Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 10 minutes. This gives you time to wipe down your dusty pasta machine and figure out how to put it together again. This will also give you time to drape some clean kitchen towels over your dining room table chairs in preparation for drying.

Pull off a ball of dough about the size of a small apricot and thread it through your machine, starting at the highest setting. Repeat a few more times, turning the dial to lower and lower settings each time, until the dough is as thin as you want it. We could almost see through the dough by the time we were done rolling it--I might leave it thicker next time. Run the dough through the cutters when it is as thin as you want it. Repeat this step over and over and over and over again until you have no dough left.

Alternatively, you can lightly dust your counter with flour, get out your rolling pin and roll the dough out by hand, and then cut it into noodles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Gently drape your noodles over clean towels to dry.

To cook, blanch your noodles in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Home made pasta takes no time at all to cook. Freeze any uncooked noodles. (I dusted the uncooked noodles with extra flour and then carefully wrapped them in parchment before sealing in a large zip top bag) You will have leftovers. Trust me! Be sure to send some home with your friend.

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-07-28T16:03:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I have been feeling quite disillusioned by my weight loss journey lately. I decided to take a step back for a couple of weeks. I had a visit with my mom for a few days and then went to work as a summer camp nurse for a week. I did not step on a scale. I did not count calories. I only ran once. I listened to my body and ate when I was hungry and stopped when full. (easy to do at camp, where I was not doing the cooking or washing-up) The only exercise I got at camp was walking around the camp grounds. (Oh, there were a few sprints to emergencies as well) My mother-in-law came one day to pick up the kids for their visit with her. She told me she had noticed I was losing weight, that my face looked thinner. I did notice that my jeans were a bit looser. I blamed it on wearing them a few times without washing them since I was at camp.

I got home today and stepped on the scale out of curiosity. It said 155.8. I managed to drop two pounds in 10 days without trying. I can zip up a dress that has been taunting me in my closet now!

Previous weight: 158
Current weight: 155.8
Loss: 2.2
Starting weight 161.0
Total loss: 5.2

My kids are gone for a couple of weeks now so I am looking forward to stretching my cooking wings while they are gone. Nothing with 'n cheeze or nugget in the recipe name for a while!!!

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-07-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I have missed a couple. Truth be told, I am hiding from the scale. I might even take the battery out for a while. I haven't really lost any weight. I am stuck at 158 right now, but yesterday I shaved SEVEN MINUTES off of the time I ran at my first 5K. I am so, so, so happy about that.

I am just going to be happy about that right now.

I will miss next week's weigh in. I am going to work at a summer camp as a nurse. I can hardly wait!

Food Journal, Day 6

2010-07-04T07:25:00.001-05:00

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Eat, Shrink & Be Merry Fuzzy Peach	1.00	219	1g	6mg	106mg	34g	0g	3g	19g
Recipezaar #13226 Best Granola Bar	1.00	232	13g	10mg	85mg	26g	15g	3g	5g
Hungry Girl (1-2-3 Cookbook) Hungry Chick Chicken Soup	1.00	150	1g	0mg	570mg	15g	5g	4g	21g
Pepsi Diet Pepsi with Lime	1.00	0	0g	0mg	25mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Apple Fritter	1.00	650	26g	0mg	1,020mg	91g	13g	0g	0g
Looneyspoons Cookbook Spinnochio Salad	3.00	318	10g	15mg	348mg	56g	0g	0g	9g
President's Choice (Canada) Pc Ciabatta Burger Bun	1.00	160	3g	0mg	320mg	30g	2g	2g	5g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Weeding Garden	30.0	-166.0
Totals:		1,563	54g	31mg	2,474mg	253g	35g	12g	58g

Food Journal, Day 5

2010-07-02T22:15:00.003-05:00

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Dempster's Wholewheat Bread	2.00	340	4g	0mg	700mg	64g	4g	8g	14g
Large Egg	1.00	71	5g	190mg	72mg	1g	0g	0g	6g
Lactantia Olivina Non-Hydrogenated Margarine	1.00	70	8g	0mg	70mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
No Name Natural Liquid Honey	0.33	20	0g	0mg	0mg	6g	5g	0g	0g
Wegmans Smoked Turkey Breast	1.00	50	1g	25mg	630mg	2g	1g	0g	9g
Lactantia Olivina Non-Hydrogenated Margarine	1.00	70	8g	0mg	70mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Montery Jack Cheese	1.00	110	9g	25mg	180mg	1g	0g	0g	7g
Saurkraut	1.00	5	0g	0mg	0mg	1g	0g	0g	0g
Kraft Light Done Right Thousand Island	0.50	30	2g	0mg	170mg	6g	4g	0g	0g
Naval Orange	1.00	69	0g	0mg	1mg	18g	12g	3g	1g
Hungry Girl (1-2-3 Cookbook) Hungry Chick Chicken Soup	1.00	150	1g	0mg	570mg	15g	5g	4g	21g
AMC Movie Theatres Popcorn, Kid's sized	0.50	150	10g	3mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Wawa Sugar Free Iced Coffee	1.00	90	4g	12mg	353mg	9g	0g	1g	0g
Cheerios Multigrain Cheerios (5wholegrains) Low In Fat	1.00	120	2g	0mg	200mg	24g	6g	3g	2g
Milk 2%	1.00	130	3g	20mg	120mg	12g	12g	0g	9g
President's Choice (Canada) Root Beer Float Ice Cream	1.00	170	7g	20mg	60mg	24g	18g	0g	2g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Grocery shopping	45.0	-197.0

Food Journal, Day 4

2010-07-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

Today is Canada Day. I knew I would be going out for lunch at my Mother In Law's. I went running early in the morning and then went for a big walk with the kids. That really burned off my big lunch with a beer!

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffin	1.50	468	7g	21mg	189mg	99g	2g	4g	7g
General Mills Multigrain Cheerios	1.00	110	1g	0mg	200mg	23g	6g	3g	2g
Milk 2%	1.00	130	3g	20mg	120mg	12g	12g	0g	9g
Italian Vegetarian Lasagna	1.00	250	7g	20mg	400mg	29g	6g	3g	17g
Olive Garden Salad With Oil And Vinegar Dressing	1.50	140	8g	2mg	68mg	15g	8g	3g	3g
Bread With Butter	1.00	145	1g	0mg	0mg	1g	0g	0g	0g
Kokanee Beer (canadian)	1.00	153	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Warm Gingerbread Cake	1.00	247	6g	0mg	177mg	45g	0g	2g	4g
Starbucks Iced Shaken Coffee	1.00	90	0g	0mg	5mg	21g	20g	0g	0g
Healthy Way Flax Loaf	1.00	170	2g	0mg	350mg	30g	3g	8g	9g
President's Choice PC Thick-Sliced Bacon	1.00	170	17g	25mg	320mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
No Name Mayo Light	1.00	40	4g	5mg	150mg	1g	1g	0g	0g
Avacado	1.00	50	5g	0mg	0mg	2g	0g	2g	1g
Tomatoes	1.00	25	0g	0mg	0mg	1g	0g	1g	1g
Co-Op Beans With Pork (tomato Sauce)	0.50	160	2g	1mg	405mg	28g	8g	8g	8g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Running: 5.2 mph (11.5 min/mile)	40.0	-585.0
Child Care - walking with children	120.0	-368.0
Totals:		1,395	61g	93mg	2,383mg	306g	65g	33g	60g

Food Journal, Day 3

2010-07-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

Today was a bad day. I binged. I went out for dessert with my Sister in Law. At lunchtime, after eating so much I felt physcially ill. I ran on my treadmill but fueling my body with crap made my run go very poorly. I could only go 3 miles, and I had to stop because I got dizzy and nauseous.

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Quaker Raw (uncooked) Oatmeal	1.00	150	3g	0mg	0mg	27g	1g	4g	5g
President's Choice PC Soy Protein Shake Mix - Vanilla	0.50	69	1g	0mg	96mg	9g	7g	0g	0g
Dole Frozen Blueberries	0.50	35	1g	0mg	0mg	9g	6g	2g	0g
Publix Brown Sugar	1.00	35	0g	0mg	5mg	9g	0g	0g	0g
Milk 2%	1.00	130	3g	20mg	120mg	12g	12g	0g	9g
Black Coffee	1.00	5	0g	0mg	4mg	1g	0g	0g	0g
Homemade Barbequed Chicken Pizza	2.00	640	16g	90mg	1,480mg	64g	0g	6g	58g
Avacado (medium)	0.50	125	11g	0mg	0mg	8g	0g	3g	3g
No Name Light Marble Cheese	1.00	90	6g	15mg	260mg	0g	0g	0g	9g
Hungry Girl Hot Chick Bbq Chop	1.00	320	3g	0mg	929mg	48g	26g	10g	32g
Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffin	0.50	156	2g	7mg	63mg	33g	1g	1g	2g
7 Up	1.00	210	0g	0mg	55mg	56g	54g	0g	0g
Mud Pie	1.00	525	30g	0mg	0mg	50g	20g	5g	0g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Running: 5 mph (12 min/mile)	30.0	-390.0
Totals:		2,100	75g	132mg	3,012mg	324g	126g	31g	118g

Weigh In Wednesday.

2010-06-30T07:54:00.000-05:00

I am slipping again. I hate that I have to be SO careful all the time. I have not lost anything in two weeks, in fact, I have gained.

Ok, not totally true. The Tape Measure of Truth reports that another 1/2 inch is gone from my waistline. I will have to be happy with that.

This new mini challenge is really helping me. I always do so much better when I journal my food.

Last Week's Weight: 158.0
This Week's Weight: 158.6

Loss: +0.6

Tomorrow is Canada Day. I will not use it as an excuse to eat. Girl Guide's Honour. I will use it as an excuse to go to our local celebrations and walk, walk, walk. I will use it as an excuse to go for an early run since Hubs will have the day off so he can make sure the kids don't burn the house down while I am gone.

Food Journal, Day 2

2010-06-29T21:22:00.001-05:00

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Quaker Raw (uncooked) Oatmeal	1.00	150	3g	0mg	0mg	27g	1g	4g	5g
Dole Frozen Blueberries	0.50	35	1g	0mg	0mg	9g	6g	2g	0g
President's Choice PC Soy Protein Shake Mix - Vanilla	0.50	69	1g	0mg	96mg	9g	7g	0g	0g
Publix Brown Sugar	1.00	35	0g	0mg	5mg	9g	0g	0g	0g
Milk 2%	1.00	130	3g	20mg	120mg	12g	12g	0g	9g
Black Coffee	2.00	10	0g	0mg	8mg	2g	0g	0g	0g
Hungry Girl Hg's Too-ez Mac 'n Cheese	1.00	202	5g	0mg	825mg	36g	6g	5g	9g
Cadbury Triple Chocolate Snack Cakes	1.00	140	7g	5mg	45mg	17g	13g	1g	1g
Culinary Circle Soft & Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies	2.00	260	12g	10mg	240mg	36g	22g	2g	2g
Schlotzky's Pizzas (8-inch) - Barbeque Chicken	1.00	683	15g	73mg	2,533mg	93g	19g	2g	37g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, pushing a stroller	10.0	-54.0
Cleaning - vacuuming, around home	30.0	-129.0
Totals:		1,531	46g	108mg	3,872mg	249g	86g	16g	63g

Food Journal, day 1

2010-06-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

Here is a glimpse of my food journal from The Daily Plate. Fuzzy Peach is a delicious and filling protein shake from one of my favourite cookbooks. Stay tuned for the recipe for Frittata Italiano. I just made it up tonight and plugged it into The Daily Plate's recipe calculator.

I am just keepin' it real!

ood Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Eat, Shrink & Be Merry Fuzzy Peach	1.00	219	1g	6mg	106mg	34g	0g	3g	19g
Pork Baby Back Ribs	2.00	468	36g	160mg	660mg	0g	0g	0g	36g
Simple Tossed Salad	2.00	48	0g	0mg	61mg	10g	3g	4g	3g
President's Choice Sun-dried Tomato & Bacon Dressing	3.00	120	11g	0mg	420mg	6g	3g	0g	1g
Fuji Apple, Small	1.00	80	0g	0mg	0mg	22g	17g	5g	0g
Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges	1.00	35	2g	10mg	260mg	1g	1g	0g	3g
Frittata Italiano	1.50	531	36g	487mg	1,296mg	24g	4g	3g	25g
No Name Frozen Peas And Carrots	1.00	50	0g	0mg	65mg	10g	4g	4g	3g
Old Dutch Popcorn Twists	0.25	75	5g	0mg	80mg	6g	0g	0g	1g
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned
Running: 5.2 mph (11.5 min/mile)	45.0	-658.0
Totals:		968	91g	663mg	2,948mg	114g	32g	19g	90g

Confession Time

2010-06-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

Ok...so, I don't usually post under Confessions, but I need a kick in the pants.

Here goes.....

Emmett had another birthday party this week.
I ran on the day of the party, but I sure didn't run enough to burn these off:

No cupcake is complete without Sprinkle Party Cake Ice Cream
Just Sayin'
You also can't let the leftovers of said ice cream go to waste.
Evening snacking is creeping back up on me.

The scale shows a bit of an increase this week, so I am going to put on my big girl panties and stop the snacking. Soccer is done, and hubs bought me a shiny new treadmill last week so I have no excuse to skip workouts now. (Credit also has to go to our friend, the runner and Department Store Manager who scored us the deal of the century on a machine we probably couldn't afford otherwise)

Oh, and since we have evening respite care once a week and he has a gym pass we might start having gym dates when there is nothing good at the movie theatre. This will be much better for me than our usual Buffalo Wing binges on non-movie date nights. How supportive is this guy?????

See you at weigh-in tomorrow!

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-06-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

This past week had lots of challenges thrown at me. Two birthday parties. Biweekly soccer practice that happens at the same time I like to run.

I still lost (a bit)!

I am getting it! Yes, I was faced with many treats at the birthday parties, but I drank my water and watched my portions. I ate a little less the rest of the day. I am working SO hard on night time snacking.

This week I have one birthday party, one soccer windup party, one school picnic and one block party. I am going to bring a healthy broccoli slaw to the block party so I have a "safe" food to chow down on. I am bringing my own lunch to the school picnic so that will be easy. Soccer windup and the birthday party are going to be tough, but this is life, right? You can't make excuses.

Here are my numbers:

Starting Weight:                 161.0
Last Week's Weight:          158.6
This Week's Weight:          158.0
Loss:                                    -0.6
Total Loss:                             3.0

Not too shabby.

Can I have a Beer and Clam at the block party?? (Do my American readers know what that is???)

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-06-09T07:59:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday again.

I didn't have high hopes for this week. I packed up the kids and visited my parents for a few days. I find it really hard to eat well at my mom's--she doesn't keep a lot of healthy food around. The four-hour drive to get there is also a big danger zone for me as well.

I planned ahead for the drive and only packed healthy snacks for the kids and me. Sun chips, water, apple slices, fruit bars and emergency lollipops for the final leg of the journey kept us from stopping at drive-throughs on the way up.
On the way back home I needed a coffee very badly so we stopped at a donut shop. I did NOT buy a donut for myself and just stuck to my coffee with milk only. Victory!

Since it was so hard for me to eat my usual food at Mom's house I paid much more attention to portion control instead.

I went on a 7K run with a friend early one morning.

How did this translate in the numbers? Let's see!

Last Week's Weight: 158.8
This Week's Weight: 158.6
Net Loss: - 0.2
Overall Loss: 2.4

Not great, but given my road trip and disruption in my routine, I am really glad I didn't gain.

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-06-02T06:17:00.000-05:00

Today is the first Weigh In of the Shrinking Days of Summer.

I worked really hard this week. Drank my water, ate 2 and a half heads of lettuce over the course of the week for lunch, and stayed away from evening snacking (that was a hard one!) Last night Hubs and I went out for dinner and I ordered off of the "Healthy Choices" menu and only ate half of my serving. Another night we took the kids for ice cream and I ate half of my small sundae.

Oh yeah. I ran a bit too.

It paid off:

Last Week's Weight: 161
This Week's Weight:   158.8
Loss:                             2.2

Percent lost:                 1.37%

I am not going to celebrate yet. I have yet to maintain any sort of loss for more than a week or two. I won't feel like I have broken my plateau until I hit 155, but I will happily take this loss and run with it!

I did it!!!

2010-05-30T11:31:00.000-05:00

I did it! I ran my first race today. What a rush! I didn't even come close to winning any medals (actually, my coach and her family swept the podium very nicely of them) but I met the goals I set out for myself:

I ran the whole way without stopping.
I didn't come in last.
I ran the race in under 40 minutes.

Crossing the finish line with friends, family, and strangers cheering is SUCH a rush. I also felt very badass running in the middle of busy intersections with police stopping traffic for me. I just had so much fun and I am so glad I decided to do this.

I posted a time of 37:16, which I am going to be proud of considering I only started training 10 weeks ago.

Hopefully next year hubs won't be too busy keeping three kids under control to take a picture of me crossing the finish line for the 10K.

2010-05-26T17:33:00.000-05:00

All right! All right! I'll come back!

I sat out the last Sisterhood challenge. My brain just wasn't in the game.

I am back.

I have run a clothing size off of my bum and an inch of my waist, yet my scale is not moving. I know I am eating up all of the calories I am running off.

I am back in the program. I am going to strive to lose 10 lbs during this challenge.

My starting weight is:

161 lbs.

I have made regular exercise a habit, but now my eating is not on track. When I have my eating on track, my exercise goals go away.

I need to get this to come together!

I am a runner.

2010-05-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

I have two weeks until I run my first 5K. I have been running 3-4 days a week using sort of couch-to-5K plan a friend has shown me. I am up to 14 minutes of running with a 1 minute walk times two reps. I can run 14 minutes without stopping! And then do it again! This is amazing to me. I have dropped a couple of pounds, and an entire clothing size on my bottom half. I actually look forward to my runs. I am thinking of training for a 10K next year.

I never thought I would think of myself as a runner. I am neither fast nor graceful, but I am doing it.

That counts for something, right?

I'm still here!

2010-04-17T09:18:00.000-05:00

I'm still here!

I am trying really hard to care about what I am eating. My weight is stuck at 161 right now.

The upside? I have been training for a 5K these past few weeks. I am running! Yesterday I hit the point in my training schedule that I am running more than I am walking and it feels good! It feels so good!

I am exercising almost every day and I feel like I am tightening up. I feel like my energy is increasing. I look forward to my runs.

I am at the point in my training where my body wants healthy things now. My appetite is shrinking and I can stop eating when I am full, instead of stuffing myself because something tastes good.

Those running endorphins are powerful things!!

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-02-03T13:49:00.000-06:00

Is it Wednesday already??

Not much to report. I slacked off on exercise this week because my knees were absolutely killing me. My winter boots have very poor traction, so bracing myself on icy sidewalks whenever I stepped out really hurt. I finally smartened up and bought new boots so now I can walk without slipping now. I can pick up with the workouts again.

so, long story short, I didn't lose this week. BUT, that means I didn't gain either.

Last Week's Weight: 160.2
This Week's Weight: 160.2
Net Loss: 0

Hopefully next week I can break into the 150s.

My Favourite Pizza Dough

2010-01-29T08:58:00.000-06:00

I lost the page to the cookbook this recipe came from, I used it so much. A kind friend recited the recipe over the phone to me. Since I KNOW I will lose that scrap of paper, I thought I should put it in a place it won't get lost.

1 cup warm water
1 tbs honey
1-1/2 tbs olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 pkg yeast
italian herb mix, if desired

2 tbs cornmeal for sprinkling on pans

Place ingredients in bread maker. Set to DOUGH, medium-large loaf.

Makes two 12-inch pizzas, one sheet pan, or a bunch of breadsticks.

Multigrain bread

2010-01-29T08:34:00.000-06:00

I got this recipe from a friend. I am going to try it out this morning!

MULTIGRAIN BREAD (LARGE 1.5 lb LOAF (I have an old breadmaker)
1 cup + 2 tbsp (300 ml) water
1 and 1/2 tbsp (25 ml) butter
3 tbsp (45 ml) liquid honey
1 and 1/2 cups (375 ml) All purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups (375 ml) Whole Wheat flour
3/4 cup (175 ml) Red River cereal
1 and 1/2 tsp (7 ml) salt
2 tsp (10 ml) quick rise yeast
I really like the crunchy texture of the Red river in it & love this bread buttered right out of the bread maker!

Weigh in Thursday?

2010-01-28T16:08:00.000-06:00

Ok. I tried to run. I tried to hide. My conscience got the better of me.

I yoyoed this week

I am up two again.

I also know I am PMSy (my BC has stopped my periods, so it is unclear when it really happens, but I have been such a carb-craving GRUMP this week it can only mean one thing)

The kids and I are sick so my workouts have slacked off.

Next week is a new week, right??

I Rock!

2010-01-22T10:05:00.000-06:00

Monday's homework at The Sisterhood was to come up with five reasons we rock.

I love this homework. If you are anything like me, you could list off what you think are personal shortcomings all day long without a second thought. This was really challenging to me, but important to help me keep going.

Can you come up with five truly awesome things about yourself?

I gave birth to a 9 lb 2 oz baby boy. At home. No drugs. Just me and my midwives.
In my previous profession as a nurse I saved lives. For real. Like, I helped keep people from actually dying. Conversely, if it was their time, I helped them do it in the most dignified and painless way possible.
I am a fantastic cook, and now I am learning how to be a fantastic cook without a lot of butter and sugar to help things along.
I am a stay at home mom to three kids age six and under. I think I deserve a superhero cape for that one.
I am here. Working to become healthy and fit. Again. I thought I was ok with how I was, but I know I was just trying to kid myself. So, I came back.

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-01-20T09:03:00.000-06:00

It's Wednesday. That can only mean one thing.

I got out of bed, looked that scale in the eye, and then they fell out of my head.

Here are my stats:
Weight Last Week: 162.8
Today's weight: 160.4
Net Loss: 2.4

Dudes!!! Over two pounds lost this week!!!!! All of your kind words and encouragement really helped me stay on track this week!

Yay!!! It's working!!!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-17T08:40:00.001-06:00

Yes, I realize it's Sunday. I am out of eggs and milk. I need to go to the store. So, I made my menu plan today.

I get emails every week from Kraft Canada. I decided to try a couple of new recipes they sent me, and before I knew it, I was poking around their site and the rest of my menu ended up being from that site as well.

Sunday: Barbeque Beef Biscuits

Monday: Cheesy Manicotti (I plan on adding the extra 1/2 pound ground beef left over from Sunday's dinner to Monday's sauce so my carnivore husband's tummy will feel full)

Thursday: Slow-cooked chicken curry with rice

Wild cards:

Tuscan roasted Vegetables with Pork Tenderloin

Chicken Taco foil packets

Crispy herb fish with parmesan potatoes

Pancake Makeover

2010-01-16T18:53:00.000-06:00

Pancakes are usually wasted calories. Yes, they are light and fluffy, but they are definitely not filling and I sure don't feel satisfied after eating them.

These pancakes WILL leave you feeling satisfied. They are hearty and filling and have a hefty 8 grams of protein per serving. That is twice as much as a pancake made from a regular mix. These pancakes also have all of the goodness of whole grains in them to give you lots of energy.

Just make sure to read ALL of the directions as the batter needs to sit around 40 minutes before you make the pancakes. Step 1 can even be done the night before so you are ready to roll in the morning.

I am not sure if there is an American equivalent to the main ingredient, Red River Cereal (man, you Americans have crummy Smarties, Kinder Eggs are banned and there is no Red River Cereal...how do you live??) Here is a place you can order it. Amazon has it too.

Anyhoo, without further ado, here is a really yummy recipe for pancakes in a way you probably haven't had them before

Hearty Red River and Oats Pancakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup Original Red River Cereal
1 1/4 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 cups 1 % milk
1 cup All-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Combine Red River cereal with 3/4 cup BOILING WATER and let stand 30 minutes
2. Add oats and milk, let stand 10 minutes, until milk is absorbed
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl
4. Add eggs and oil to cereal mixture. Mix well, and add to flour mixture, beating until smooth.
5. Spoon batter by 1/4cupfuls onto preheated lightly greased griddle or frying pan. Cook until bubbles break on surface and underside is golden. Turn and cook other side until golden. Serve hot with butter and syrup or honey.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Calories 229

Calories from Fat 85

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 9.3g 14%
Saturated Fat 1.9g 9%
Cholesterol 74.8mg 24%
Sodium 25%
Total Carbohydrate 27.1g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g 8%
Sugars 3.6g
Protein 8.5g 17%

Fat: 37%
Carbs: 47%
Protein: 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-01-13T09:13:00.000-06:00

Weigh in Wednesday....WTF edition.

Last week's weight: 162.8
This week's weight: 162.8
Loss: ZERO

I exercised every day, I drank so much water I had to get up twice each night to pee. I started journalling my food again.

So, I was hoping for at least a half pound loss.

I got nothing.

??????

Ok. Time to focus on the positives. Exercise is making me feel good. I am losing my appetite for sweets (again)

I am just very disappointed in myself right now.

Mix master.

2010-01-10T08:56:00.001-06:00

Lately, I have developed a dislike of buying preprocessed, overpackaged convienence foods. If I want cookies, I will bake them. Pudding isn't THAT hard to stir up and sitting at the stove can be very peaceful and meditative. The only cake mix I buy is Angel Food, since I have made it from scratch, and there is really very little difference in the quality of the finished product.

I have found, from time to time, favourite recipes of mine call for premade biscuit mix. I don't make a habit of buying that, but I learned it is easily made from very common pantry ingredients. Once you know the secret, you will stop buying it too!

I used the following recipe to make dumplings for stew last night. They turned out perfectly and I didn't have to make a last-minute trip to the store!

BisQwick Baking Mix

The Monday Project

2010-01-08T13:14:00.000-06:00

Wanna hear a story? It is the story of a girl who has battled her weight for most of her adult life, and has battled body image issues for much longer than that.

How about you pour yourself a nice drink (warm, if you are anywhere near where I live!) and we will have a little chat.

I feel like this story might jump around a bit. I hope you will stay with me.

Let's start with my Grandparents. The grandparents who gave me the genes to carry all of my extra weight around my waist. My legs and arms are skinny, my bust is skinny, but I always have a poochy belly. When I was in high school I weighed just over 120 lbs. I rollerbladed. I marched in the marching band (very good cardio workout!) I wore a size six to my graduation. I still had a poochy belly. Marching band was the only form of exercise I was good at. I was the one always picked last for gym class teams, clumsy and un-coordinated.

Now, let's talk about the other Grandma I had who bought me Weight Watchers magazines as a teenager and who never let me forget about my belly. Let's talk about the strangers who, today, stop me on the street and ask me when my baby is due.

Let's talk about how this has hurt my feelings over and over and has made me feel very unattractive.

Let's talk about my wonderful husband who is the only one who has made me feel good about myself and desirable and attractive no matter what my size--and he has seen them all!!

Ok, now that you know the ancient history, let's move up a decade.

Let's look in the window of a basement apartment at a young woman in nursing school. This young woman studied very hard and had very little time to exercise, try as she might. She gained 20 lbs through the course of her nurse's training. She really shot herself in the foot by trying to keep up with her whippet-thin boyfriend who HAD to eat everything in sight in order to maintain his fat free body.

Her aha moment at that time consisted of a picture of herself at Christmas, round face and jiggly thighs taking over. It also consisted of a co-worker at the hospital she worked at pointing out that she was "always eating". She joined Weight Watchers and found the program too restrictive and the leader too mean. She moved away to a tiny town that didn't have pizza delivery, but did have a 24 hour gym. She found new inspiration and lost 30 lbs in time for her wedding.

Hours after the wedding she got pregnant and packed those 40 lbs back on. She gave birth to her sweet boy and quckly lost 20 lbs. She then spent the next year carrying those 20 lbs on and then packed on 40 more with her second pregnancy. She then gave birth to a gorgeous little girl and quickly lost 20 lbs. She joined Weight Watchers again, and found the new program much easier to follow and the new leader much nicer. She lost another 40 lbs and was back to her wedding weight. She felt great. She got pregnant again. She packed on another 40 lbs. She gave birth to a big boy in her bedroom. She quickly lost 20 lbs through marathon nursing and chasing two other kids.

This brings us to today, and 20 lbs to lose. Weight Watchers is too expensive on a single income that must feed five people--four of whom have monster appetites and need lots and lots of calories to stay skinny. The fifth one spends a lot of time resenting the other four skinnies in her home who can eat whatever they want.

She is trying to change her attitude towards weight loss. She is not going to focus on apperances this time and is going to focus on health instead. She knows her waist measurement is right now in the danger zone for heart disease. She is NOT going to count calories this time as she finds that counting and tracking makes her obsess about food in a very unhealthy way. She is going to learn to listen to her body and it's real hunger cues. She is going to drink more water than coffee. She is going to exercise with her Wii.

She is going to get healthy, not skinny.

Thursday Three

2010-01-07T10:08:00.000-06:00

Hello fellow Shrinkers!

Today's assignment is to list three fun facts about yourself.

Here you go!

I met Pauly Shore in Minot Airport. We flew in the same plane (with my High School Marching band) to Los Angeles.
I am so clumsy I am capable of tripping on a busy linoleum pattern.
I cannot whistle.

Weigh In Wednesday

2010-01-06T08:50:00.000-06:00

It's Wednesday. That can only mean one thing.
It's time to post the good or bad news about the past week.

Truth be told, I actually weigh in on Tuesdays. Tuesday night is our respite night and it is a night I allow myself some wiggle room with eating. Last night I had chicken wings with my spinach salad. A few wings equals around 2-3 lbs of salt weight the next morning for me.

So, enough jibber jabber. Here is my weight for Rethink Your Shrink Weigh in Wednesday #1:

162.8 lbs

I gained two pounds over the holidays, which is not a surprise.

I have been faithfully exercising 20-30 minutes at a time, minimum 5 days a week since Boxing Day. I have also been tracking my water intake and curbing evening snacking.

I am expecting good news next week!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

Well, after two weeks of eating everything in sight, it is time to get back into a routine. I always do better with a meal plan. There are two days of the week were we have activities that are perilously close to dinner time. Those are almost always crock pot meals, or made ahead and easily reheatable. The rest of the week is planned, but not assigned. There are two empty days for leftovers and or respite night.

So, here it is:

Monday: Split Pea with Ham soup and cheese bread
Thursday: Crockpot Italian Sausage Sandwiches

Roasted Vegetables with Lemon Couscous
Beef Stew with Dumplings
Chicken Croquettes with Spinach Mashed potatoes

Thursday Three on a Sunday

2010-01-03T10:51:00.000-06:00

The Sisterhood has presented a new challenge to members.

Re-think Your Shrink.

I have been really, really bad at shrinking lately. So, here I am, yet again, to start anew.

The rules:

Write down 3 goals you have for yourself for this challenge. Be specific. Be realistic. Be positive. Make them “I will…” statements, not “I won’t…” statements. YOU MAY NOT USE THE WORD “TRY”!
Track your goals. Make a sticker chart. Make a ticker for your blog. Use an app on your phone (I don’t have a fancy schmancy phone but I assume with all the apps out there that there’s GOT to be a goals app). Just find something that works for you and keep it up to date!
Come up with a NON-FOOD reward for yourself when you hit your challenge goals. You can pick one small reward for each goal met. You can pick one big reward for completing all 3. You choose. Just don’t choose food.

It has taken me until now to really decide what I need to do.

These are not big goals. I am not ready for big goals yet, but, for better or worse, here they are:

I will stop eating after seven PM. This means NO cleaning up the kid's leftovers, and NO munching on whatever I can get my hands on once the dishes are done. I plan to use the time-honoured techniques of chewing sugarless gum durning kitchen clean up and sipping tea on the couch during our evening TV time.
I will complete the 30-Day Challenge on my new EA Sports Active game. I tend to start new workouts guns blazing, and then peter out to nothing. This time I will finish what I start.
I will drink my water. I have been very bad about not getting enough water, and I know proper hydration can make weight loss much easier. I have been drinking far too much coffee and not enough water.

How will I track my goals? I have a calendar with big squares. I will mark off my non-snacking days and make a checkmark at the bottom of each square for each glass of water I drink. My workouts are tracked by the game itself.

My reward? If I can go two weeks without snacking, I will buy a new book to go with the series I am reading. I will redeem a massage Gift Certificate I got for Christmas at the end of the challenge.

Wiiiiiii!

2009-12-29T15:44:00.000-06:00

My inlaws bought us a Wii for Christmas. Hub's cousin gave us a mall gift card for Christmas.

What do these two things have to do with each other??

EA Active!

I have heard a lot about Wii Fit and the newer EA Active, especially on the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans blog.

After a bit of research I decided on getting EA Active.

I am on Day 2 of the game's 30 Day challenge.

How do I feel?

Well, my lower body knows it's been worked out, that's for sure!! I love running on the track, and the inline skate game is fun and hard. By the end of the skating interval I am cursing at the perky personal trainer egging me on.

How is this different than an exercise DVD? Well, you can't cheat. The game has you hold controllers in your hands for the upper body exercises, and comes with a strap so you can attach a controller to your leg for running and lower body work. If you don't hold a rep long enough, or run fast enough, or lift your arms and legs high enough, the trainer tells you to do it again.

I love how the calories you burn tick off on the corner of the screen--very motivating. The game also charts your progress so you can look back on the work you have done and helps you set goals.

I did the easy workout yesterday to familiarize myself with the game. I managed to break a sweat. Today I did the moderate and think I will have to stay there for a while--I worked hard today!

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

2009-11-29T13:17:00.000-06:00

This is a delicious soup that is fast to make, filling, and kid friendly. (even my two year old gobbled it up!) It calls for inexpensive pantry ingredients s o you can whip it up on the spur of the moment.

Give it a try! Don't fear the pumpkin in the soup. It adds a creamy richness and gives some sweet contrast to the spices.

My kids like it with cheese on top. I like it with cheese and a dash of hot sauce.

Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup
(1 serving: 160 calories, 1g fat, 1,128mg sodium, 13g carbs, 12g fiber, 6.5g sugars, 10g protein)

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 cups fat-free broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 can black beans; drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
3/4 cup salsa (this is where you can add or reduce the spiciness)
*Optional toppings: shredded reduced-fat or fat-free cheese, and reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream

Directions:
Spray pot with nonstick cooking spray and set stove to medium heat. Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin; stir for one minute. Add broth to the spices, and bring to a simmer. Next, add pumpkin and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Optional: Garnish soup with a sprinkle of cheese and a little fat-free sour cream on top. Serves 4.

*Nutritionals do not include optional toppings.

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-11-18T09:06:00.000-06:00

It's that time again!

I am tracking my food and exercise, getting myself back in the habit of paying attention to what I eat. I am trying very hard to stop snacking in the evening. A selection of decaf herbal teas in my pantry is helping with that, as is my knitting.

So, here are my stats:

Last Weigh in Wednesday (in July...) 160.6
Last Week's Weight 160.0
Today's Weight 159.4
Loss 0.6

So, a hair over half a pound. It isn't great, but at least it is going down. I was derailed one day this week when I was perfectly on track, and then got invited to a dip party. Yes, I sampled. Yes, I probably overdid it a bit with the artichoke dip, and I KNOW I overdid it with the chili dip. BUT, I did not buy anything but seasoning mix for my lowfat buttermilk mashed potatoes and some sauce for chicken breasts, so that is something! I know better than to keep cheeseball mix in our house.

My two goals this week are:

Reach for water first before snacks.
EXERCISE!!!!

I have such a hard time making time for exercise. I have exercise-induced asthma which is an all too easy excuse to fall back on when I am feeling lazy. I need to stop making excuses and just get off my bum and do something.

Suck it up, Buttercup

2009-11-02T12:06:00.000-06:00

I'm ba-ack.

We are moved in and settled and (mostly) unpacked. Time to get back on the wagon. My muffin top is growing again. It is just all too easy to slip back into bad habits. How quickly the weight comes back on!

I feel a whine coming on:

I hate being hungry. I hate feeling like all I do is think about food. Tracking my food is a pain, but it seems to be the only thing that works.

I must either do the work, or quit complaining about how I feel and look.

My shirt didn't shrink THAT much from going through the dryer.

I just have to suck it up. My first step was logging back on to The Daily Plate. I tracked my food today.
My next step is to hide the tiny chocolate bars that are sitting in my kitchen. I was an idiot and fell for the 50% off Halloween candy at the grocery store yesterday.

Ok, here we go again......

I Zumba'd!

2009-08-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

I got a call from a friend today. She said there was a new class being previewed at the Y tonight. Zumba.

What?

She said something dancing and aerobics and fun. I dug out my workout clothes and tagged along.

An hour later, I was sweating, out of breath and my legs were jello.

I had So. Much. Fun! I didn't get all the moves, but the music was great, the instructor was friendly and I danced (a bit) of my bum off.

I may just have to go back and try this again.

Have I mentioned this site before?

2009-08-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

So, have you ever wanted to bake cookies but your tried and true recipe calls for two eggs and you only have one? Ever have a hankering for Ethiopian food but don't know what the heck teff is? Want to know if you can sub sour cream for buttermilk in your favourite muffin recipe???

You need to bookmark

The Cook's Thesaurus

Do it right now. I'll wait.

You won't be sorry.

The moving truck comes in 11 days, 10 hours, and 37 minutes. I am only buying the bare minimum groceries right now--fresh fruit and milk, mostly. I am digging deep and shopping my pantry so I don't have to move as much. I found a lonesome can of lentils I bought before I knew the true depth of Hubby's dislike of them--I made chili and ended up passing the leftovers along to his Mom who eats anything. I discovered that sticky sushi rice makes absolutely fantastic rice pudding.

Anyone have ideas for an acorn squash? For some reason I bought two. Last night we ate one roasted with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon (YUM!) I need something new to do with his friend.

Why aren't I packing right now????

Helloooooo out there!

2009-08-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a month since I have posted here! Time flies. If you read my other blog, you will know that things are changing very quickly here. As I am typing, I am surrounded by boxes. We move to a new house in two weeks.

How is the weight loss? Stalled at 159 lbs. Not too bad. I dropped three chasing Matthew at camp a couple of weeks ago and that is where the scale has stopped moving. I have noticed not having my kids home has changed how I eat. My bad habit is eating off the kid's plates when they are finished. I need to figure out how to really stop doing that when they get home in a couple of days.

Hubby and I have enjoyed eating grownup food for the past week--I bought the ingredients for California Rolls one day and then decided I didn't want to fiddle with rolling sushi. It turns out that tossing the ingredients (minus the rice and nori) in a crusty bun with sliced tomatoes and lettuce plucked from the garden makes a delicious sandwich perfect for eating on a hot summer evening.

My CSA box has me eating wonderful fresh vegetables every night. I cannot keep up with the zucchini, though. I have SEVEN in my kitchen right now!!!! I think I need to give this Zucchini Streusel a try...I don't know if I will try to pass it off as apple crisp though. Hubby still doesn't trust me after I served him potato salad made from cauliflower. (It did fool him, by the way!)

When we move I will be saying goodbye to my very productive apple trees. I canned 16 pounds of crababbles yesterday and have eight more in the freezer. This morning I plan on making a Dutch Baby pancake and topping it with some of the pie filling I made yesterday. Yum!

I hope you try some of the recipes I linked to! I will be sitting here counting down until I get to start cooking in my sunny new kitchen! What should I make to break it in???

Hitting a wall.

2009-07-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

It happened. I have lost my motivation. My weight is creeping up. Unhealthy snacks are creeping in. I can't say this is a plateau since I ate Smartie Cheesecake when out for lunch yesterday.

Sometimes I care about this, more often I don't. Heck, I just bought a maxidress (muumuu??) yesterday.

I have moments. Right now I am blogging as my steel-cut oatmeal simmers on the stove. I plan on having a salad for lunch. There is a home showing at 6:00 so I am not sure about dinner.

I do know my blood pressure is rising at the thought of getting ready (again), and then listening to the realtor probably tell us the reason this person doesn't want my house (again). I am listening to heavy equipment tear the street up in front of my house. I wonder how this will affect people's opinions of our house and if it might cost us a sale.

I am letting my team down. Stress. My house is not selling. Stress. My daughter is going through a phase where every little slight against her (she wanted the yellow cup, not the blue; her brother is breathing in the same room as her; her other brother took her toy....) results in blood-curdling screaming. Stress. Stepping on the scale and seeing a gain. Stress.

So what do I do? Ben & Jerry's If I had a Million Flavours. Ahhhhhhhhh. Beer and Clam on my balcony. Ahhhhhhhhh. Working in my garden. Grumble grumble I have to walk there, oooh so many weeds, oh that work feels good! Ok, that wasn't so bad. Ahhhhhhh. Knitting. Ahhhhhhhhh. Streaming Dharma and Greg on my laptop. Ahhhhhhhh. I really really want to start smoking again. I have not done it for years, but lately my cravings are popping up again with a new venegance.

Ok, so maybe I should do more of the second part of the list and less of the first part, that should be a start.

What do you do when you hit a wall?

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-07-08T07:48:00.001-05:00

Is it Wednesday already???

This past week has gone by in a flash.

I have been trying very hard to stop some bad habits that have snuck back into my life. I am trying to eat more salads again--having farm fresh lettuce delivered every week helps with that! Making muffins and pie from the farm fresh rhubarb also delivered did NOT help!
Discovering the yumminess that is Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale also probably didn't help, but it did take the edge off of a very noisy, busy day this week. (tangent: No, I haven't jumped on the lime-flavoured beer wagon. I don't plan on it. If I want lime-flavoured beer I will slice up a lime and add it myself.)

Long story short, here are my stats:

Last week's weight: 160.9
This week's weight: 160.6
Lost: 0.3

Onwards and downwards!

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-07-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

I have not had a great week as far as weight loss goes. The stress of keeping our house show-ready at any given time is taking it's toll, and meal planning and calorie counting has gone out the window. We have showings almost every day, which makes cooking and eating at regular times hard--there have been more take out and sandwiches than usual. I am falling back into bad habits: eating off the kid's plates, snacking in the pantry, buying junk food.

So, there is a gain this week.

Last week's weight: 157.9
Current weight: 160.9
Gain: 3 lbs

I am going to work harder this week and hopefully post a loss next week. I am quite disappointed in myself this week.

Handy Housewife Hint

2009-06-25T13:10:00.000-05:00

My life is all about making my house ready to show, but this hint would work for last minute company too.
When company comes I always like to have a clean bathroom for them, but doing a big scrub down is often not fesable.

Here is my quick and dirty, two-minute bathroom cleanup:

Wipe down bathtub with your probably still-damp morning towel. Leave the towel in a heap in your tub. You will need it in a minute. Put a fresh towel out for your guests now.
Wipe down sink and faucets with a baby wipe--you wouldn't believe the shine a baby wipe gives chrome!! Much cheaper than disinfectant wipes and you can use them for quick makeup removal too.
Swish out your toilet with a brush if you have one handy, wipe seat and lid with another baby wipe.
Here is the trick that separates me from Flylady: put a few drops of Tea Tree or lavender essential oil in your toilet bowl before closing the lid.--it really makes your bathroom smell fresh without it smelling like chemicals or fake air freshener.
On your way out the door, grab that damp towel out of your tub and wipe the floor with it then toss in the laundry.

Now, relax! Your bathroom is ready for company. All that is left to do is stash all those dirty dishes you have on the counter in your oven until you can wash them.

Weigh in Wednesday

2009-06-24T06:26:00.000-05:00

The rhythm of my life has suddenly changed. We put our house on the market on Monday. If I am not cleaning, I am quickly sweeping the kids and dog out for a showing. Mealtimes (and naptimes) have become unpredictable. Our Realtor promises I will get ample notice for showings, then turns around and says there is a potential buyer coming in 45 minutes. This is par for the course, but it makes it hard to chart food and exercise regularly.

I am watching portion sizes and listening to my body's hunger signals, but that is about as far as it goes right now. My workouts consist of cleaning and taking the kids to the park or playdates during showings.

It's working.

Here are my stats:

Last Week's Weight: 159.4
Current Weight: 157.9
Weekly Loss:1.5

Total Loss during Challenge: 4.5
Total Cumulative Loss: 8.5

I am down to the last hole on my belt now.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

2009-06-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

Wait. I know what you are thinking. Jen, you are trying to shrink. How will pepperoni and pasta help that?? Bear with me. This is my slimmed-down version of a Taste of Home recipe. It makes a great make-ahead supper for a hot day. Boil the pasta first thing in the morning before the sun gets too high. Then you can rest easy knowing that you will have a filling and family friendly meal ready to go when you are ready to wilt.

The original recipe had over 500 cals per serving. By my estimate a big bowl of my version has 286 calories.

Slimmed-Down Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 cup part-skim mozzarella, cubed
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
5 small turkey pepperoni sticks, chopped. (I use Freybe's I think it ends up to be around a cup of pepperoni.)
1/2 cup light zesty Italian dressing.

Directions:

Cook pasta until just a teensy bit underdone. Rinse well with cold water and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients and cooled pasta in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Stir and serve.

Makes four big bowlfuls.

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-06-17T07:43:00.000-05:00

It's weigh in time! This week was great. I feel a real change in my body. For the first time I wasn't constantly hungry. I am noticing that it takes less food for me to feel full. I have a bit more energy. A friend noticed my clothes fit better.

Here are my stats:

Last Week's Weight: 161.4
Current Weight: 159.4
Weekly Loss: 2.0

Total Loss during Challenge: 3
Total Cumulative Loss: 7

Onward and downwards!

Thank you Hungry Girl!

2009-06-11T11:58:00.001-05:00

I am a big fan of Hungry Girl. Her cookbooks and ideas are a big help in my weight loss journey. This one just showed up in my email in-box. I needed to post it so I wouldn't lose it.
Doesn't it look good??? I love crock potting!

Slow-Cookin' Pulled Chicken

PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 149 calories, 1g fat, 462mg sodium, 10g carbs, <0.5g>POINTS? value 3*

This shredded BBQ chicken is FANTASTIC over salads, piled onto light buns, stuffed inside high-fiber tortillas with (rinsed) cole slaw, or eaten all by itself. Yummmmmm!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients except the chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with the sauce.

Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours OR on low for 7 - 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, and mix well with the sauce.

If you're serving a group, keep the crock pot on its lowest setting, so the chicken stays warm. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-06-10T13:09:00.000-05:00

This is week two of The Sisterhood's Shrinking Days of Summer challenge.

Here are my stats:

Starting Weight 162.4
Current Weight 161.4
Loss 1.0
Original Starting Weight: 167.2
Cumulative Weight Lost: 5.8

This is only one pound lost this week (which is all my body ever willingly gives up at this stage) BUT since joining my lovely sisters, this is pound number five to leave my body!! Whee! I can see things starting to change now. The barest hint of a jawbone, my belt feeling a bit looser.
Yay! Progress!

It's Fair time.

2009-06-05T10:22:00.002-05:00

Summer Fair is here. The kids have seen the midway go up and have been doing the Bart and Lisa thing to us:

So, today, after Hubby gets home from work, we will go.

I am packing a picnic so I don't have to be forced to choose from the bad options there.

Here is what I'm packing:
Fruity Chicken Salad
Tuna Salad
carrot and celery sticks
home made whole wheat buns (hmmmm....I should get on that!)
skim milk pudding cups
fruit salad
sugar free iced tea and low sugar lemonade

I will pretend I cannot see the mini doughnuts.

I know it isn't Monday.....

2009-06-04T18:58:00.000-05:00

....But

I ate brown sugar bacon waffles for supper.

There. I said it.

I charted them. I have calories to spare at day's end.

They were so totally worth it.

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-06-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! A new challenge has been given at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I am on a team with five other lovely shrinkers and the goal is to lose the most weight as a whole. I have been on hiatus from my food journal for the past couple of weeks, so it is time to get kicked back into gear.

Here are my stats:
Starting weight: 162.4 pounds

This is the ending weight from the last challenge, so I am glad to say I have maintained despite some chocolate that I had to review for my other blog and a perfect storm of PMS/Home Buying Stress/MIL fighting that started a three-day binge.

Right off the bat my first goal for this challenge is to not eat in my pantry. If I can't take the time to put my food on a plate, I should not eat it. I will also avoid the mini doughnuts at the fair this weekend, Girl Guide's Honour.

Hello team mates!
Kristen Q.
Jess B.
Cristina S.
Lindsey S.
Megan T.

Do any of you have blogs I can link to?

What's for breakfast?

2009-05-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

You have heard it a bajillion times. Breakfast is so important. I know it to be true. On days when I don't eat a proper breakfast I just set myself up for poor snacking or binging later.

What I choose to eat for breakfast seems to make a big difference too. A strange side effect that I seemed to have kept from my pregnancies is the need to eat carbs and not much else for breakfast. Anything but carbs and I get very queasy. Toast or cereal is just not filling and is usually loaded with too much sugar. Where does that leave me?

Oatmeal.

Oatmeal is filling, high in fiber, low in calories and you have complete control over additives and sugar. Cinnamon adds flavour with no calories and also helps keep your blood sugar stable.

Of course, oatmeal on it's own can get pretty boring pretty quickly. The trick is to keep switching things up. Here is a rundown of some of my favourite things to do with oatmeal.

Grated apple, cinnamon, sugar-free maple syrup, spoonful of peanut butter
add a teaspoon of plain cocoa powder to your cooking water, then top with 1/2 banana, cinnamon and Splenda (it's like dessert!)
frozen berries , cinnamon, fat free vanilla yogurt
Fruit cocktail and vanilla soymilk
More ideas from Hungry Girl

What do you eat for breakfast??

Weigh In Wednesday #3

2009-05-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well, it is the end of the Shrink into Summer Challenge at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I joined during the last three weeks and have faithfully lost a pound each week.

As I mentioned in my previous post I learned the hard way last week that weigh in after respite night is not pretty nor an honest picture of how I am doing. I hold salt like crazy and restaurant meals seem to be packed with them so I am always bigger the next day, even if I stay on track with my calorie allowance. I now weigh in the day before respite night so my weigh in Wednesday is really a Tuesday. (Funny--that used to be my Weight Watchers meeting day.) I then drink my weight in water the next day to flush the salt out and de-puff myself.

I also found that being brutally honest on my food journal, for better or worse, is really helping me keep on track. I can't say enough good things about The Daily Plate. I am Prairieknitwit there. If you are a member, friend me and we can snoop on each other's journals.

So, without futher ado. here are my stats so far:

Beginning Weight: 166.4 lbs
Finishing Weight: 163.4 lbs
Percentage lost: 1%

Doesn't look like much, but I am only beginning. Just wait until the next challenge!

True Confession Monday

2009-05-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

Yes. It's Tuesday. Yesterday was a holiday though so today is really Monday.

1. I weighed in today instead of tomorrow. My respite night is tonight so even if I stay under my calorie goal, the sheer amount of salt in whatever I eat will negate any loss. (Down one pound! Yay!)

2. I can barely keep my eyes open today so it is a real struggle for me to stay away from sugary carbs right now. There is only so much caffeine one can have before you are just tired and jittery instead of just tired.

3. Since I can barely keep my eyes open today the only exercise I could muster was a couple of laps around the mall while running errands. Every little bit helps, right?

4. I am eating dinner at 8:00 PM tonight at a new pizza joint. I need to try very, very hard to not eat all the kid's leftovers when they have dinner. I WILL make a big salad and chow down on that to take the edge off. Girl Guide's Honour. I can't make any promises about the pizza.

Weigh In Wednesday #2

2009-05-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

No good news here. I am up a pound. I had a triple-whammy of birthday party, mom visit and Mother's day this week and I lost control. I am really mad at myself. I did journal every transgression so I can see the damage I have done in black and white.

Onward and upwards, right??

Edit: I weighed myself the day after posting this after Mother Nature showed me I was also in the throes of PMS last week. I am down two pounds after all!

I am not going to rest on my laurels. Clearly my current plan is working.

Weigh In Wednesday #1

2009-05-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have been lurking at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans for quite a while now. They are very down to earth and inspiring people.

I have had to lose weight three times in my life. Once, when I was newly dating Mister Hummingbird Metabolism and in Nursing School--keeping up with him and enjoying a studious and sedentary lifestyle packed a lot of extra pounds on my body. My rock bottom was seeing 180 on the scale and having to shop in the plus-size department for the first time in my life. I started in Weight Watchers, and ended in a teeny town that had no pizza delivery, but a 24 hour gym. I dropped the weight just in time to marry Mister HM, and get pregnant before the ink was dry on our paperwork.

I then gave birth to my sweet Emmett, who is now 5 and 7/8ths. I packed on 40 lbs growing him and only lost around 20 before getting pregnant with my darling Charlotte, now 4. I joined WW again and dropped over 30 lbs. I was back in size 8 and feeling great. Five minutes after I bought the cute jeans I got pregnant with my adorable Matthew, now 1-1/2. I am back where I started. I won't disclose my weight here right now, but I am wearing size 13 pants and they are tight. People ask me when my baby is due and I haven't been pregnant in two years.

I have been stopping and starting. Doing well for a week or two, then resorting to binge eating in my pantry. I exercise sproadicaly. It is time to make some changes. I hardly recognize the face I see in the mirror. I am tired of trying to figure out what to wear that doesn't make me look pregnant. I am back on the wagon.

I chart my food, exercise and weight at The Daily Plate. I know I can't do this alone.

I am so excited to finally dip my toe in and participate with other shrinkers!

More Handy Housewife Hints

2009-02-06T11:17:00.000-06:00

This is turning into the Handy Housewife Hint blog!!!

Here is today's hint:

If you have stainless steel appliances or countertops, don't waste money on fancy polishes.

Plain old cooking oil works like a charm. Simply clean your surface with vinegar and water, then buff a little bit of oil (canola or olive) onto the surface with a soft cloth. Old flannel pjs or t-shirts work well for this. You won't believe the streak free shine you get.

Cheap and safe too!

Another Handy Housewife Hint

2009-01-31T10:39:00.001-06:00

We just suffered through a week of stomach flu here. I found it very helpful to keep a pair of baby running shoes on top of my dryer. They are perfect for tossing in with pillows and blankets to fluff them up after washing.

Handy Housewife Hint for Pizza

2009-01-11T09:09:00.000-06:00

You know how when you are spreading out dough to make cinnamon rolls or pizza the instructions usually tell you to use flour if the dough is sticky? I find if I add too much flour I can toughen my dough and make it hard to spread out. (I am sure it has something to do with adding more gluten, but I don't know the science behind it. I am not Alton Brown!)

I discovered that if the dough is generally compliant, but just a little bit sticky I can spray the surface of my dough with non-stick spray (and my hands or rolling pin too). Adding the oil keeps the dough nice and soft and it spreads or rolls out very easily without toughening up.

Cheesy Olive Panini

2009-01-11T08:51:00.000-06:00

This recipe evolved from a couple of places:

The kids got a Sesame Street Sandwich toaster for Christmas and I wanted to try something grown up in it.
I love Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread. Seriously. So cheesy and salty and carby. Perfect PMS food.

So here is a very quick snack that is perfect beside a big bowl of home made vegetable soup or for munching while watching a movie.

If you don't have a sandwich toaster or panini press, fear not. I will tell you how you can make it without. It will be fabulous.

Ingredients:

4 slices whole wheat bread (thinner slices are better here--the cheap bread from the grocery store is perfect in this recipe)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 stuffed green olives, diced
2 tablespoon diced green onion

Special Equipment:

Sandwich toaster, panini press, or a nonstick skillet plus a cast iron pan or a pot with a heavy can placed inside of it

Directions:

Preheat Sandwich toaster or Panini press according to their directions. Alternatively, place your nonstick skillet over medium heat to warm up.
Spread a thin layer of mayo over each slice of bread, leaving a 1.5 cm border around the edges.
Sprinkle cheese, then olives, then onion evenly over mayo on two of the slices of bread. Place the other slices, mayo side down over top.
Place sandwiches in the toaster, press, or on the dry skillet.
Grill according to manufacturers directions. If using the skillet method, place the heavy pot or skillet on top of the sandwiches to weight them down and grill for 2-3 minutes. When one side is brown, carefully turn the sandwiches and weight them and brown the other side.
Let cool for a few seconds, and then slice sandwiches. Eat. Don't burn the roof of your mouth with molten cheese.

Serves 2

Carrot Pudding, Just Like Grandma's

2008-12-05T08:28:00.000-06:00

A traditional family recipe that finishes almost every Christmas Dinner that I can remember. I only started liking it a couple of years ago. I made it for the first time last night. It feels really cool to be part of the making of a tradition!

As per Grandma's instructions, I added 1/2 cup softened butter to the pudding mixture and stirred the baking soda into some of the grated potatoes before mixing them in--she says it activates the soda and makes the pudding lighter in texture. I also cut the amount of cloves in half. It just seemed like a lot considering how strong they are. I then packed the mixture into clean pint jars (two for this recipe) topped with seals and rings, and then steamed as per the instructions. Don't forget to put a rack in the bottom of your pot.

I filled one jar a little too full so it didn't seal properly. Richard and I tested it last night. The pudding is rich, moist and sweet with just the right amount of spice.

Carrot Pudding

Submitted by: Joyce Rehagen
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 7 members

Yields: 7 servings

"Moist, dense and spicy, this steamed pudding features grated carrots and potatoes, a handful of raisins and a fragrant mixture of ground cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Top with a rich and creamy butter sauce for a truly magical dessert."

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup peeled and shredded

potatoes

1 cup white sugar

1 cup raisins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large mixing bowl, combine carrots, potatoes, sugar, raisins, flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, all spice, and ground cloves. Transfer mixture to a clean 1 pound coffee can. Secure wax paper over the top and place the filled can in a large pot with 2 to 3 inches of water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a simmer.
2.	Steam the cake for 2 hours. Serve warm.
3.	Buttery sauce: In a medium-size pot, combine butter or margarine, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Heat until the mixture is liquid. Spoon mixture over the warm carrot pudding to serve.

Eggnog latte

2008-11-07T15:21:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick treat that goes perfectly with knitting on a chilly afternoon.

Ingredients:
Commercially prepared eggnog. (I just found peppermint eggnog at my grocery store today and oh my is it yummy in a latte!)
Strong hot brewed coffee or espresso
A large microwavable mug

Directions:
Fill your mug 2/3 full with eggnog (Use more if you plan to use espresso). Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds, or until it is hot but not boiling. Top off mug with coffee. Stir. Shake in some nutmeg or garnish of choice. (I really like this)

Curl up. Cup your mug in both hands and enjoy.

Breakfast Treat.

2008-11-07T15:11:00.000-06:00

Winter has officially arrived. There is snow on the ground and a chill in the air. Oatmeal is always welcome on a cold morning, but sometimes it's nice to shake things up a little.

Here is a variation I came up with when I had some leftover streusel topping from baking muffings.

Blueberry Streusel Oatmeal

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened.

Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Oatmeal
1 cup oats, regular or quick cooking
2 cups water
dash salt
2/3 cup frozen blueberries*
prepared Streusel
milk or evaporated milk

In a large microwave bowl combine oats with water. Add a dash of salt, if desired. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, then 60% power for 5 minutes if using quick cooking oats or 7 minutes if using regular oats.

Immeditaly divide cooked oatmeal between two large bowls. Top hot cereal with approx 2 tablespoons streusel each and and divide berries between the bowls. Mix well. Top with milk or evaporated milk to taste.

*You can thaw the berries beforehand if you want, but it helps the cereal cool down faster, which is great if you have hungry impatient kids waiting for breakfast!

You will have steusel left over, but just put it in a plastic container and store in a cool place.

Serves two

Onion Soup for the lazy.

2008-10-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

I have a bad cold today. I wanted something soothing. For some reason, French Onion Soup came to mind. I poked around on the Internet and the recipes were all too big or had too many ingredients. I wanted something easy and sort of quick. I messed around in my pantry, and this is what I came up with. It is pretty tasty for only having a handful of ingredients.

Lazy French Onion Soup
Serves 2 generously.

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium to large onion, cut in half and then sliced thinly
1 packet French Onion Soup mix
2-2/3 cups water
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or Swiss, or Jack, whatever white cheese you happen to have.)
2 slices stale rye bread
1 clove of garlic

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Melt one tablespoon of butter over med-low heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add sliced onions. Cook onion until soft and caramelized, around 15-25 minutes. (Really. Don't rush this. The more patient you can be, the better the soup will taste.)
When the onion is soft and brown and sweet smelling, add soup mix, water and wine. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for five minutes.
While soup is simmering toast bread.
Crack the clove of garlic and scrape the broken edge over the warm toast. Butter toast.
Ladle soup into two ovenproof bowls. Float garlic toast, butter side down, on soup. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the toast.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted.
Dig in, but remember, the bowl will be hot! Don't burn yourself!!

Handy Housewife Hint

2008-10-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of silicone bakeware. I love how it flexes so you can pop things out. This comes in especially handy with mini muffins. I love how you can turn a pan inside out to wash the corners. It is nice how you can cram it into the dishwasher.

A cool thing I do with my pans is use them as liners in between my fry pans to preserve the non stick coatings when I stack them.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

2008-09-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

I need to get this recipe down so I don't lose it. The book is due back at the library today!!!
Tasty and lighter than creamy clam chowder. Find some crusty bread to dip in your bowl.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

1/4 lb bacon, diced and browned
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 tbs dried parsley flakes
1-lb 12 oz can low-sodium tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
3 8 oz cans clams with liquid
2 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 medium-sized potatoes, cubed

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cover and Cook on low 8-10 hours, until the vegetables are tender.

Update: I just found a neat product at my local grocery store: Seaquest Seafood Medley. It is a bag of about 1/2 pound of frozen mixed seafood. I used this in place of the three cans of clams and added a bottle of clam juice to make up the missing liquid and had a delicious seafood chowder.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2008-08-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

Sundays are pancake days here. Based on the ingredients on hand we rotate between standard pancakes, banana, gingerbread with lemon curd, buttermilk.....Bacon or breakfast sausage and fruit on the side.

I came up with this recipe when I was presented with a beautiful ripe pumpkin from my Aunt's garden a couple of weekends ago. It is delicious and the pancakes rise wonderfully high from the griddle. The cinnamon and nutmeg smell like fall to me.

The recipe makes a lot because we eat a lot! Leftovers can be stacked between squares of wax paper and then stashed in the freezer to be reheated in the toaster for a yummy breakfast later in the week.

3 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each baking soda and salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours through spices). Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except for pumpkin puree. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently fold together with a fork. Just before ingredients are combined, add pumpkin and finish folding mixture together. It will be thick.
Spoon batter onto a non-stick griddle or greased frying pan set over medium heat. Spread the batter around with the back of your spoon a bit.
Cook until undersides are lightly browned and the edges are set. Flip and cook other side. Since the batter is so thick you will not get tell tale bubbles breaking on the uncooked surface of the cake. Watch the edges!

Makes around 15 pancakes, depending on the size.
Serve with your favourite toppings. Maple syrup is fabulous with these, as are slices of peaches.

Summery Farmer's Market Stirfry

2008-08-21T07:38:00.001-05:00

Ok, so, I didn't actually get all of the ingredients at a farmer's market, but I did use summery vegetables and some of them came from my Grandma's and my Aunt's garden. To me, when someone says stir fry I think of Asian flavours, but the ingredients in this one are decidedly Prairie home cooking.

two ears of corn
three medium-sized potatoes, scrubbed and chopped (only peel if you think you need to)
a generous handful of grape tomatoes
1 small zucchinni, or half of a monster from your Aunt's garden, chopped
1 cup (or so) of sugar snap peas, ends and strings removed. (these came from the farmer's market!)
half of a large onion, chopped
1-500 gm package of turkey breakfast sausage chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup or so of your favourite balsamic vinagrette
1/4 cup or so of light feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Steam corn in microwave on HIGH for five minutes and set aside.
Steam potatoes in microwave on HIGH for five minutes, or until just tender. Set aside.
While potatoes and corn are steaming, cook turkey and onions in your largest skillet with a bit of no-stick spray until no longer pink.
Cut kernels from corn and add to skillet with potatoes, salad dressing and the rest of the vegetables.
Stir fry until the zucchini is cooked, and the tomatoes have popped. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with feta cheese and eat on your porch.

Feeds four hungry people.

Chocolate Popcorn

2008-07-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

This makes fantastic movie night munchies. It is not too sweet, but intensly chocolaty.

Chocolate Popcorn Mix

1-1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted if lumpy
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in a covered jar in the pantry for emergencies.

To prepare popcorn:

Melt 1/4 cup butter or hard margarine in the microwave. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate popcorn mix. Drizzle over about 6 cups of popped popcorn in a large bowl. Toss to coat well.

Handy Housewife Hint

2008-06-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

We use twisty straws as a part of Emmett's therapy regime. They help strenghten his oral-motor muscles. Sometimes grunge gets stuck in the twisty bits and doesn't want to rinse free. I have found that soaking the straws in warm water with a denture cleaning tablet easily loosens dried on milk or juice so it easily rinses free. This works with dirty sippy cup valves too.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

2008-06-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

This recipe was given to me by the mom of one of Emmett's preschool classmates. I need to get it down so I don't forget it--she literally just rattled off the ingredints while we chatted at the wind up party today.

In a food processor place:

equal parts cream cheese and goat cheese (I used a 140 gm package of goat cheese and around 1/2 of a 250 gm package of cream cheese)
1 300-ml jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 scant 1/4-1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Blend until smooth. Serve with your favourite crackers, pita chips and raw veggies.

I was told this is also fantastic as a burger topping and sandwich spread.

Carrot Cake

2008-06-12T15:52:00.000-05:00

Mama Bear asked me for my favourite carrot cake recipe. This is the one I swear by. It tastes fantastic, and if you don't tell anyone they will have no idea it is low fat to boot. I call this Anniversary cake because we had carrot cake as a wedding cake so I make it every year on our wedding anniversary now.

Jen's Anniversary Cake

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup drained, crushed pineapple
3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute or 3 whole eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk (you could also pour 1 tbsp vinegar into a measuring cup and top off with plain milk to measure 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pineapple, eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Stir in grated carrots. Add flour mixture to carrot mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in nuts.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Set pan on wire rack and cool cake completely.
While cake is cooling prepare your favourite cream cheese icing. When cake is cool, slather with cream cheese love . If cake is not devoured in one sitting, store leftovers in the fridge.

If you need more slices this cake can easily be made in a 10 X 14 inch rimmed sheet pan. You may need to adjust your cooking time. I lined mine with baking parchment to prevent sticking.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (regular or low-fat)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Beat first three ingredients with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.

If you bake your cake in a 9 x 13 pan you will have leftover frosting. Do not despair. Spread it on graham crackers and top with fresh fruit slices. Dip cookies in it. Lick it off of a spoon. Use your imagination.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2008-05-22T07:35:00.001-05:00

Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 bar plain soap (I use Sunlight, but I have heard of people using Ivory, or Fels Naptha as well)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup powdered Oxy clean (I use the generic brand)

Grate the bar of soap and then grind in a food processor until granulated. You should have around 1-1/2 cups of soap. Mix soap with remaining ingredients. Store in a covered container. Use 2-3 tablespoons per regular load.

This makes a plain, unscented detergent. If you want it to be smelly, add 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil to the mix. The Sunlight makes the detergent smell lemony, but there is no lingering scent on the clothes. The oxy-clean is optional, but I found it makes a real difference in how stains come out of the kid's clothes.

I like to add the detergent first and let the water run over it to dissolve a bit before adding clothes.

Here is a nice site to start with if you are interested in making detergent.