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A weigh-in, a recipe, and a mild rant

Here's my latest weigh-in.  I lost a whopping .2 lbs.  Devastating.

On the upside, it's not a gain.  And I'm about seven days into South Beach, so that's not quite enough time to see a significant change on the scale.  I do feel less bloated.  So that's something.  I've noticed, with my body, that it takes about two weeks for a new program to take effect.  Perhaps that is how long I need to process the bad stuff out.  I don't know.  Maybe the scale will move next week.  I sure do know how to maintain, though!

I wanted to share a good recipe that is South Beach friendly.  Because I have a huge sweet tooth, I definitely need substitutes, to get me through.  If I feel deprived, I will only cheat.  And that gets me nowhere.  

I didn't photograph these, but I did make them and enjoy them.  And managed to keep the non-low-carbists in the house away from them.


Low-Carb Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups ground almonds
1 cup granulated Splenda
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons granulated Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add half the ground almonds, 1 cup Splenda, egg, vanilla, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat until well combined. Beat in remaining ground almonds. Cover and chill in bowl for 1 hour. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons Splenda and the cinnamon; mix well. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Gently roll each ball in the cinnamon-Splenda mixture to coat and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned at the edges. Carefully remove from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.

Note: 1.5 net carbs per cookie

New Year, New Post, New Me

Since this is the first post of the new year (bad me), I am taking this blog in a new direction.   Sure, I will still post recipes of things I eat from time to time, but I also want to focus on my weight loss journey.

In September of 2005, I got married.  I weighed about 142.   I wasn't thin, still had boobs, but I was pretty much where I was comfy in my skin.

Fast forward to December, 2005.  Just three months later, I was pregnant, and by the time I gave birth in August of 2006, I was almost 190 lbs.  Yikes.

For the next three years, I hovered at about 160.  This was unacceptable to me, but because I knew I would be getting pregnant again eventually, I never tried very hard to get the weight off.  Lo and behold, in 2009, I became pregnant again, and was almost at the 200 lb mark when I gave birth in October.

Double yikes.

So, I enlisted a group of online girlfriends to begin a Biggest Loser competition.  I have lost 24 lbs so far, and have another 30 I'd love to burn off.  It's a daily struggle, which I will now share with you.  Following is my current weight. 

And following THIS, is my goal.  Once I put it out there, I can't take it back.  I can only work hard to make it happen. 

Here it is:  My goal is to lose 30 lbs in 23 weeks.   That's about 1.3 lbs a week, which would put me at a slim 128.6.  My lowest weight since I started college.

Can she do it?  Stick around and we'll see........

Homemade Hummus and Granola.

Not to be eaten simultaneously, of course.  lol.

But in these trying financial times, why would you spend $6 on a bag of granola or $5 on a tub of hummus if you could make it yourself?  And make it fresher, and better.  You could even design your own recipe using your favorite ingredients, rather than be stuck buying the flavors available in the grocery store.

Let's start with granola.  The beauty of both of these 'recipes' is their flexibility.  I do not necessarily follow a recipe, per se.  I tend to eyeball the concoction, judging for consistency, and tasting for the right flavoring.

For the granola, I throw the following ingredients, more or less, into a bowl.  If I have something else on hand, I toss that in there, as well.  If I'm missing something, it's okay, too.  Except if you're missing the oats.  That could be a problem.  lol.

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweeteend
3 tablespoons flax seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts here)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used dried cranberries and dried apples here)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the dried fruit. Stir well to incorporate.  Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the depth of goldenness you’re looking for), stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove the granola from the oven and and cool completely, in its pan, on a wire wrack. Once the granola is cool, mix in the dried fruit.

 I love mine with yogurt.

And I ONLY eat Fiber One yogurt, because all of the other brands are too high in sugar and calories.  Check it out for yourself.  Why consume all of that extra sugar?  This stuff tastes just like the others, but less sugar.

Okay?  Granola.  Try it.  Don't buy it.  lol.  There are so many varieties you can make, with dried fruit and nuts.  You can use different extracts like orange.  Orange flavoring and dried cranberries would make a great combination.  You could add mini chocolate chips after it's completely cooled, if you're feeling devilish.  I could go on all day.

So now, the Homemade Hummus. 

I forgot to photograph the hummus as I was preparing it, but really, you'll get the idea.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
Salt, pepper, or whatever seasoning you prefer, to taste

Throw it all in your blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.   Season to taste.

Voila.

Today, I added capers into the processor, then topped it off with a few more.  I also like to add some hot sauce, on occasion.  When I have them in the fridge, those jarred roasted peppers make a wonderful hummus.  Just toss a few into the processor while it's going.  There are so many things you can do with hummus.  Roasted garlic.  Sundried tomatoes.  Endless possibilities.

Birthday party recipes and a few others!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I have had sick kids for weeks and weeks, and they're actually sick again, so I have not been cooking much.

However, yesterday was my daughter's first birthday party, and I made a spread.  Turkey Chili, Mummy Dogs, Cranberry Coleslaw, Homemade Guacamole, Homemade Mac and Cheese, Applewood rubbed ribs, and the most requested recipe thus far----the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Trifle.

This, I have to say, is far from homemade.  Semi-homemade, if you will.  Here are the ingredients:

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Trifle

2 tubs of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling
2 cans of Apple Pie Filling
1 jar of Smuckers Caramel Sauce
1 box of Honey Maid Honey Graham Crackers

Crush the graham crackers in a bag with a rolling pin (or even a can of apples) until you have crumbs. 

If I had time, I would have put the crumbs into a frying pan with some butter then patted it down on the bottom, but alas.  I was running late.  So I just started to layer all the ingredients.  Graham crackers, apples, caramel, pecans, cheesecake filling.  Decorate the top, and voila. 

It was really easy, and went over pretty big.

Other winners of the menu were the mummy dogs which were nothing but Pilsbury Crescents and hot dogs.

And of course, the homemade mac and cheese, which is a recipe I always use from Pioneer Woman's blog.  It NEVER disappoints.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• ¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2-½ cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.  In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.  Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.  Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.  Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.  Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.  Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

(THIS, I forgot to photograph.)

Next up, the guacamole.  My husband said this was his favorite.  I had to agree.  And I also forgot to photograph the finished product. 

I use a very loose receipe for guacamole.  I used about six avocados, half of a giant red onion, about a cup of chopped cherry tomatoes (the firmer the better), salt to taste, and the juice of two limes.   I add a little lime zest, too.    Mash the avocados with a fork, and add the rest of the ingredients.  Done!

Happy Eating!

Homemade Baby Food -- Strawberry Banana Whip

Boy, have I been lazy.  I've been feeding the baby lots of jars of organic baby food and expensive organic baby yogurts.  Which I never even BOUGHT with my first daughter.  I made everything she ate.

I did start out making food for this baby, but somewhere along the line, figured it was too much work.  That's a lazy person's excuse, because the truth is:  it is sooooo easy, and so worth it.  When I saw the colors of this Strawberry Banana Whip, I was instantly reminded why it's better to make your children's food fresh, rather than load up on the jars.

So here are the ingredients:  Frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, and some hot water.   That's it.  In fact, I froze these fruits so long ago, like in the beginning of the summer, that I almost forgot I had them.

You dump them into your blender or food processor with about a 1/4 cup of hot water.  Add water as you go along, until you reach desired consistency.  I prefer a yogurt-like smoothness, for the baby.  And that's almost what it tastes like.  But there's no dairy, or anything else.  Just plain old fruit.  You could probably add all sorts of things into here, though, if you wanted.  Peaches, berries, cereal, protein powder mix, pineapple.  The combinations are endless.

Then, I transfer the mixture to ice cube trays and place them in the freezer.  Once they're frozen, I'll put them in a ziplock bag and just take a few out every night for the next day.  I wish my camera didn't suck so badly, because then you could see the luscious color of this fruity whip.  It's a gorgeous pink!

It was a huge hit with the baby, and my older daughter, too.

New name.

I changed the name and look of my blog a bit.  After I realized that turnips agitate my gall bladder and I will probably never eat them again.  LMAO!

I just couldn't stand looking at the word, even.  Turns out I would have to start a whole new blog to get a new URL and would lose my followers or anyone who actually bookmarked the blog.  So I'm leaving the dumb URL the same.

DAMN INDIGESTIBLE TURNIPS!!

I am reheating leftovers tonight, but will be checking back in tomorrow with my Stuffed Zucchini recipe.  See you then!!