My Favourite Pizza Dough

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

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?

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!

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?

1. I gave birth to a 9 lb 2 oz baby boy. At home. No drugs. Just me and my midwives.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. I am a stay at home mom to three kids age six and under. I think I deserve a superhero cape for that one.
5. 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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Hello fellow Shrinkers!

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

Here you go!

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

Weigh In Wednesday

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

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

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:

1. 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”!
2. 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!
3. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.