You Are What You Eat

Well I have been on Weight Watchers since mid-october and managed to get past my plateau after having lost 20 lbs over the summer.  I lost another 15 lbs. which adds up to about 1 lb loss per week.  Not what I hoped for, but still 15 lbs. gone forever which makes me smile.

Well after having lost these 35 lbs, I had some blood work done to satisfy requirements for our health insurance this year, in order to get a deductible credit.  Our family deductible is $5,000.00 but if Mike and I fulfilled these requirements, it lowers to $3,500.00.  Definitely worth the trouble in my eyes!

So my fasting blood glucose was 99!  Under 100 is normal, and 100-125 is considered pre-diabetes.  Mike already is in the pre-diabetes stage, and though I am normal, I am at the very top edge of normal, and that is nuts.  I really thought my numbers would be better considering the weight I've lost, and the .8 mile walks I take with the dog!!

So we have decided we will be cutting refined foods out of our diet.  I believe the ideal diet consists of lean meats, veggies--many raw, fruits, nuts/seeds.  The hunter-gatherer diet basically.  I believe it's best to limit foods produced in a lab or highly processed or with a zillion year shelf life in a box, with the exception of salad dressing and Frank's red hot perhaps.  I am just being realistic here!!

I know it won't always be easy, but at the same time, if we can see that the standard American diet is not healthy for us, then something must be done!  I am not going to go all gung-ho and commando mom on my poor family.  In fact we have a lot of wheat products, and some cake mixes I've stocked up over the winter.  I am simply trying to limit them.  I will not buy more mixes, and I am choosing to make home made breads and biscuits over store bought.  Baby steps upon baby steps.  Cooking from scratch is not new to me, yet I had been relying more on convenience this past year since moving. 

I figure that as Spring arrives I can include even more fresh fruits and veggies and rely a bit less on the "white starch stuff". 

Triple Birthday with photos

It's *someone's* birthday!

one of many pizzas!

The banner is up!

~The birthday kids~

Had fun trashing the entire kitchen making pizzas for 9

watching funny Youtube videos

The birthday girls favorite, Carvel ice cream cake

On January 11th, my eldest daughter drove up for an 12 day visit.  We have had SUCH fun!!  It's been so wonderful having here home to be with during the days, watching movies at night, making homemade pizzas way too many times.  How could I say no?

On the 16th we celebrated her and Danny's dual birthday, like usual.  She didn't want to have hers alone, and since she was on winter break, we made sure our tradition carried on, and we added her boyfriend, Tyler to the mix also.  His birthday is on the 26th, and he goes to school in Rochester, so he will not have his family or long time friends around.  He expressed being sad about that we turned our double birthday into a triple.  Nothing fancy, just some homemade pizza for 9, followed by a Carvel ice cream cake and funny Youtube videos like Brian Reagan, comedian, and Marcel the seashell with shoes on, oh and Baby Monkey riding backward on a pig (that was strange).

I don't know what I'll do when Sunday comes and she'll have to leave in order to begin the new semester.

A glimpse of our Christmas....

The day after Christmas, that was a great day.  My daughter from MA arrived with my mom for a five day visit!  They also met puppy Cooper for the first time.  It's really something the difference that two people can make in an atmosphere.

For dinner on the first night we had spiral ham, and some side dishes.  We cheated and had a store bought Turtle Pie (maybe Mrs. Smiths?) that was very very good!  Of course, it wouldn't be the Christmas season without some peppermint chocolate fudge or cinnamon rolls for breakfast!


Here are some pics of our time together:

had to keep it simple due to chewing puppy!  Some year we shall have tree skirts and garland..haha

Autumn opening her gifts

 My baby girl from MA

yay!  Some help in the kitchen...

my girls with grandma 12/26

More menu ideas for this upcoming week from the Today show!

Recipe: Broccoli stir-fry with chicken and mushrooms

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces with the stems no more than 1/4-inch thick
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
• Salt
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks or thin slices and blotted dry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Put a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add half the oil, swirl it around, and immediately add half the garlic and ginger. Cook for 15 seconds, stirring, then add all but a sprinkling of the scallion, and the broccoli and mushrooms. Raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their water and the broccoli is bright green and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and add 1 cup water. Stir and continue to cook until almost all the liquid evaporates and the broccoli is almost tender, another minute or 2 more, then transfer everything to a plate.
Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil, then the remaining garlic and ginger. Stir, then add the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has lost its pink color, 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium, return the broccoli, mushrooms, and juices to the pan, and stir. Add the soy sauce, sprinkle with more salt and some pepper; add a little more water if the mixture is dry. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced slightly and you've scraped up all the bits of chicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the remaining scallion, and serve.

Serving Size

Serves 4





Recipe: Chopped salad

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons or more white or red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, or more to taste
• A large pinch of salt and a smaller one of black pepper
• 2 celery stalks (preferably from the heart), chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 3 or 4 radishes, chopped
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 1 small cabbage, cored and shredded

Preparation

Combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a salad bowl beat with a fork.
Add the vegetables, sprinkle lightly with more salt and pepper, and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

Serving Size

Serves 6