Holidays....and Hind Ends

The holidays are here! This is most definitely my favorite time of the year. The cooking and the gifts and festivity...and the cooking....The feast we had for Thanksgiving this year made me so happy! The seven of us put a dent in a feast big enough for twenty! Unlike years past though, the whole experience made me happy: the delicious food, my pretty table, the dainty napkins my husband folded into a shape because he's awesome....I usually use Thanksgiving as a day to see just how far my stomach will stretch. This year, while I did indulge (and not log calories for the first day in over a month) I did NOT eat until I was sick. I just enjoyed. Everything. My family, the food. Giving thanks for all we're blessed with.

Speaking of holidays, my husband has witnessed what I'm sure he believes is a Christmas miracle. I have started tracking caloric intake....and have kept it up for over a month! He doesn't question it though. He just hands me the measuring cup when he's done....because, once again, he's awesome. I have been attending a very interesting and eye opening Bible study. One of the things that this study has helped me to realize is that, my loathing for calorie tracking and "restrictions" was rooted in rebellion. When I repented and gave it over to God, I started tracking my calories and with a positive attitude! It's astonishing what God will show you if you actually, honestly look!

I have not lost any more weight recently but I HAVE been rearranging the landscape a bit. My husband says he notices a tuck in my waist. The biggest change I have noticed has to do with my rear. It has lost its shelf-like shape and actually resembles, dare I say it? A butt! It's weird. I woke up one day and there it was....And I do apologize to those of you who know me in person and will now not be able to control the urge to examine said fanny perpendicular. I've been going to the gym three days a week; logging a lot of miles on the exercise bike. I just got done with a kickboxing class this evening. I kept having to hike up my pants. Maybe I should start saving for a new pair. It will not do to moon the poor unsuspecting ladies in class!

Tonight, for dinner we had pan seared shrimp, oven roasted sweet potatoes and green beans. It was good, but what surprised me was that I THOUGHT in my HEAD that it sounded good. Usually I would have thought "that sounds healthy". I actually thought though "mmm. That sounds good!" Have I begun to reprogram my brain to crave better food? Interesting thought...

With the leftover turkey, I made a delicious Mexican-spiced soup with lots of veggies. Go look for it on the recipe tab. Seriously, it makes my belly happy!

And there you have it, my ramblings about holidays and hind ends....

Tortillas and Tiredness

This week I have been an exercising machine! Halfway through the week I am sore and sleepy! Seriously, I am laying in bed typing this on my phone (ah technology). I'm trying to be extra quiet and hope the kids sleep late...yeah that's gonna happen. Anyway, so I went to kickboxing Monday (and I'm STILL sore today). Then, yesterday, I trotted a mile and a half. I am pretty sure I almost died. And early this morning I went to the gym and pedaled my hiney off. I came home, took a shower and just crawled back in bed. I'm sooo not a morning person!

I am trying to prepare myself for a 1 mile "Fun Run" in November. Whoever named it that needs their head examined. But I promised my son I would do this with him. The things we do for our kids. So far I can run the length of the street. Then I have to walk and recover for a while. Because I almost died.....

I would like to talk to you today about last night's supper. Why? Because it was fully awesome. Chicken, spinach and white bean quesadillas. Yes, yes, I know....tortillas again. I do not know why in the world I can't seem to stay away from dishes involving them. But for this dish? I was so okay with it. Everyone ate it like it was going out of style. They are so so so yummy. Protein and veggie packed. The recipe came from theothersideof50.com. The app on my phone won't let me link up but be watching the recipe tab for the recipe because that site is next to impossible to search!

Did I say already that I'm tired??

Veggies, Veggies Everywhere!!

I have three meatless meals planned this week...3! Yesterday, for me, was a completely meatless day. Mostly because I found a new smoothie recipe that I liked so much, I decided to have it twice. Mmm smoothies. This was was suspiciously dubbed the "Green Monster". This made me slightly wary. Then I saw the blogger's picture of it and was downright frightened. I had already committed though so I dove in. She describes this smoothie as tasting like a guilty treat. And it really does! Your penance for indulgence? Staring at a glass of bright green liquid. If you can get past the color, it's awesomely delicious. And you know what? I can get past the color. My sister-in-law was over yesterday at lunchtime when I made the Green Monster for the second time. She was just as disturbed as I was the first time, but I mean who wouldn't be disturbed by something that looks like blended up grass? She tried a sampling though and was impressed with the fact that you can't taste the spinach....and there's LOTS of it in there. But it tastes like a peanut butter banana shake. I think I'll be having one again for lunch today...

Yesterday's dinner was a Mexican Lentil Stew that I got by stumbling across a blog called Budget Bytes (link ALL the things!) I think my lucky "Pin It!" button and I will be further exploring this blog for meal ideas. Yes, I know. Mexican food again. At least this time there are no tortillas. The blogger suggested dipping tortilla chips in this stew but I'm sure you can guess that I did not take this suggestion. I have started logging calories so I was excited to find that this stew is extremely low calorie. We served it over rice....because we're Cajun. My kids said "beans and rice!" and ate it like it was going out of style. My husband made lots of yummy sounds and said multiple times that it was really good. I thought it was excellent too. It had a smoky flavor from the fire roasted tomatoes and all the spices. Don't leave out the lime juice. I think it really needs it to brighten up that heavy smokiness. So, I'm guessing I've added a new recipe to my collection.

Speaking of, I've really got to go through the recipes in my box. There are so many pieces of copy paper crumpled up in there that I can't hardly put the lid on anymore. It's ridiculous. I'm sure that there are recipes in there that I'll never make again. Those need to go away. Then, the ones that I'm going to keep should be transferred to cards that actually fit inside the box...yeah...that's gonna happen soon...

Tonight, we're having hamburgers and fries. I really should have put that on a day when I go to the gym...Thursday and Friday though are going to be meatless dinners too! Thursday is veggie lasagna (the recipe for that is posted on my recipe tab). And Friday is baked potatoes. I may cheat Friday though and sprinkle some bacon on my potato. Bacon.....

All my clothes are too big. While most think of this as a good problem, I can't afford to replace them . I guess I know what I'll be asking for for Christmas. Maybe I should take to Craigslist too. Seriously. My wardrobe is pitiful.....

The Good, The Bad and The Tortilla

Ok so my title is bad and I feel bad....

We had veggies in a tortilla for the third week in a row. This time it was sweet potato and black bean flautas. I am really tired of tortillas. I am going to be scouring the Internet for something...anything!....meatless that does not go anywhere NEAR a tortilla! Any suggestions?

I just finished my first kickboxing class. I thought the other class I was taking was hard! This one may kill me! It's only once every week though, and then I can only come every other week because of other schedule conflicts. I've lost 20 pounds though and I hope to keep it going. I'm seriously considering coming at the crack of dawn to get on a bike! I'm officially crazy!

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday. Or it would be. If he was still here. I don't think about it too much but last week in our Bible study discussion we talked about unfulfilled longings. We talked about how some longings will never be fulfilled this side of Heaven. Somebody told me it was easy for me to say that. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. Dad. I had asked God to let him stay here longer but God's will was different. It was a long road to the place where I accepted that I can't see the big picture like God can and He really does know what's going on. But I got there. Then last week it slapped me in the face again. A fresh wave of grief. It kinda dragged me down. But I'm shaking it off and remembering why I'm here.....to be a daughter of the King. To raise my kids to love Him, and hopefully be light to somebody else along the way. Dad's turn is done. He's "graduated" as my friend says. It's my time. I don't intend to disappoint.

So there you have it. The good, the bad and the tortilla (not in that order).

Tacos, Tacos Everywhere...

I missed posting last week because I was so incredibly busy! This week we had the unexciting textured vegetable protein tacos. So I won't talk to you about THIS week's tacos. I'll talk to you about LAST week's tacos. My family, if I put it on a tortilla they will try anything. We tend to have Mexican food often. My husband loves it. My oldest child loves it. Frankly, I could take it or leave it. These tacos though, the ones of which I am about to tell you, I will take any day!

Vegan & Gluten Free Sweet Potato Tacos With Spicy Cream Sauce  <------- There it is. The taco recipe that makes me say "Yum! More Please!" Go to it. Read it. Make it. Eat it. This way you also may experience the yummedness. I altered the recipe to what I had on hand or could easily find. The store I chose to shop in this week did not have silken tofu. I used a soft yogurt cheese instead for the sauce. It came out okay but it was still missing something when you taste it by itself. Add it to the taco though and it was all good!

My kids loved this taco. Well, my youngest kind of said "I don't want carrots and sweet potatoes." Then, I handed her a taco and she was like "oh a tortilla" and ate it. She liked it too, but she would not pick up any veggies that fell out of the tortilla onto her plate. Without their tortilla coat apparently they are not nearly as good and she promptly declared "I don't like that." She has also moved into the stage of childhood where she likes nothing. Even if she has eaten it before she says "I don't like it." We say "tough" and sit her down with it and she eats what she just said she didn't like. Therefore, I do not trust her judgement when it comes to food. My son, the tiny gourmet approved of this dish and said he'd gladly eat it again! This made me happy. My hubby even liked it, but he absolutely adores anything in a tortilla and he loves sweet potatoes. I was pretty sure that when I combined the two I would be hitting a home run.

Come to think of it, we had several successful dinners last week. One of the more interesting ones was a "pasta" dish I made. I used squash cut into ribbons instead of pasta noodles to go with a parmesan cream sauce. My son asked if we could always have "squash noodles" instead of "regular" ones. My daughter, however was not as intrigued. She didn't even finish what was on her plate. So we probably won't have that one as regularly.

Last week was a week of culinary "wow". This week has just kind of been meh. And there's been a lot of meat so far this week. I don't like that. Red meat too. I have to be careful to balance it out. My IBS does a lot better without so much meat. AND I lose weight a little easier too. I'm slowly but surely losing weight. People are starting to notice, which is both nice and awkward. What DOES one say when someone says "you look like you've lost weight"? Because I've taken to saying "yes, thanks for noticing." Maybe that's rude? I don't know....

A New Recipe...or Three!

I specifically waited to write my blog post until today because I was planning on trying several new recipes this week and wanted to tell you about them all!

So first thing's first. Monday our meatless meal was Easy Pad Thai. I was pleasantly surprised! I wanted Asian food; something I'd never tried before. I pinned this recipe onto Pinterest bout 7,000 years ago but forgot about it until the other day when I was meal planning and searching for a meatless meal. I have always been a smidge afraid of "pad Thai" but this person promised it wasn't very authentic. This gave me hope! No looking for impossible ingredients only found in a store where they surely don't speak my language! Of course I left out ingredients that didn't suit my tastes. These ingredients are probably what make it Pad Thai. Oh well, I'm excited because it was really good! (Even if it wasn't really Pad Thai...) I stir fried some veggies to go along with my faux pad Thai. The kids loved it. Mom and Dad thought it could maybe use some more sauce. It was a little dry. But oh that flavor was pretty yummy!

The same day I made the pad Thai, I made dessert. "Cake Batter Pudding Cookies". Another pin. This one was just "Meh." I actually deleted the pin because I didn't feel I'd make it again.

Then there was this morning. The whole reason for my delaying my blog post another day....phenomenal breakfast of breakfasts!.....The breakfast of the pumpkin. We've been having some fall like weather. I am excited about this. Therefore pumpkin and spices have invaded my kitchen.

First, I made Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts. Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar straight out of the oven...oh man! Then, I made Pumpkin Pie Smoothies. I think it could have used a little more sugar and spice but the kids loved it as is. Oh man oh man! I had a child wake up with a sick stomach this morning. I felt bad for her because I thought she'd miss out on the yummy pumpkin, fall-y breakfast. While she had no appetite for the doughnuts she guzzled down some smoothie and promptly went back to sleep. An hour later she woke up wanting to eat and put away 2 doughnuts before I called it enough!

The pumpkin recipes are sooo good! I can't wait to buy more nutmeg so I can make another smoothie with the leftover pumpkin.

I had some reservations about the exercise class I had been attending so I'm trying to find a new one to try. In the meantime I figure I'll spend some time on the bike. Yesterday I managed 13.38 miles in one hour. I was kinda proud of myself. I would have done a little strut, but my legs fell off at mile 12....

Revelations....and Soreness

Our family has gone back down to just four of us. As quickly as our foster children came in and turned our home on its head they are gone again; leaving memories, lessons learned and stains on my walls...

I have spent the last week recovering. Recovering from the whirlwind of foster parenting. Recovering from a cold. Recovering from realizing that I, in fact, do not have all the parenting skills to be the parent God has called me to be.

This first foray into foster parenting, while it did not give me the children meant to forever be in my family, gave me insight into the type of parent I am....and the type of parent I must pray and study and strive to be. God abruptly brought me to the realization that I am not necessarily an exceptional parent. He has just blessed me with exceptional children.

That's not to say I had nothing to do with how my sweet babies have turned out thus far, but learning this lesson will absolutely determine how they continue to grow. I realized that, while I have common sense parenting skills, I have failed to really dig into The Word and ask God how He would have me parent. I have been parenting on instinct. It's time to parent while standing on God's Word. I've found resources and begun reading in my daily quiet time and already God has shown me weak areas I can strengthen. When I work to apply the things I am learning I see my children bloom before my eyes! It's amazing what God will do when we are obedient.

So I am finding myself. As a parent, as a teacher (help me Lord my second grader hates to read!). I'm finding myself as a wife. As a woman of God.

I am still struggling with rebellion in the form of eating and drinking things that I should not. I have actually started delving into that through a Bible study I am going to at church. Because God knows what I need. Monday I was SO very sick all because I craved a soda. I know caffeine in any form aggravates my digestive system. But I drank it anyway. If I can kill that devil I'll be doing pretty good. I have lost 15 pounds. So now I have to start saving to buy myself new clothes. Sigh. I actually loathe clothes shopping. Last year I dragged a friend along with me and she dressed me. She'll probably hide if she hears me talking about doing that again!

My life in a nutshell.....homeschooling, housecleaning, praying, hiking my pants up. It. Is. Good.

Oh. And being STINKING sore! This exercise class is kicking my rear! But it's the reason I'm down 15 pounds. So back I go. As a matter of fact I just got done. Excuse me while I whimper.

The Accidental Meatless Day

Yesterday was a fail of epic proportions...on one hand. On another hand it was a win. Unfortunately the win was much smaller. It actually took me aback when I realized my little win this morning. Let me 'splain...well it's lengthy...let me sum up.

Yesterday was our first day of the new home schooling year. Yay right? Not so much apparently for my foster children. These are unstructured, undisciplined children who were already pretty much incapable of adapting to life in our house. THEN I had the nerve to ask them to do coloring sheets and quiet activities while my second grader completes his work. Well, that's what I thought I asked them. Apparently, they HEARD "and now we're going to cut off your toes." Every step, every activity all I got was an "I don't want to" and lots and lots of screaming. They, quite literally, cried for two straight hours. I feel bad for them because they are going through so much. Then I feel bad for my kids who have to endure it all. Then I feel bad for me because I am so weary it's not even funny. Today I have a cold that I caught from the kids. I feel like I have been run over by a small Japanese vehicle. I was chafing at the bit to go to my usual aerobics class. I am pretty sure I almost died. My head nearly exploded. But now, I am calm, I feel balanced.

This is where my big little win came in today. I realized I'm slowly, silently slipping from a slothful lifestyle to becoming a doer. I sent the animals (I mean children) out to recess today and was thinking "oh yes! 20 minutes of peace! I'll sit down and read a little!" Then I saw it. The patio and porch littered with debris. And I didn't sit. I quietly swept the back patio. Alone with my thoughts and the sunshine while the children laughed and played a few feet away. And I thought, "when did this happen?"

And now for the reason for my title, the other small win. I, one, managed to have a meatless Monday ON Monday (thanks to the hubs who was off for the holiday.) We had Veggie Chili. I was gonna do some awesome sounding vegan sweet potato tacos to try something new, but the kitchen got a special request.

Two? I accidentally ate no meat yesterday. I mean, meat isn't bad, but when you're trying so hard to consciously make better food choices that's a pretty big deal! I was kinda nauseous yesterday morning so I just ate a bowl of unsweetened applesauce. Why they put so much sugar in it I'll never know! Then, for lunch I had a really yummy and diverse salad. Then the veggie chili. Today as I was making breakfast it hit me...no meat at all yesterday! I chose fruits and veggies and beans over carbs and meat and fat! This made me excited. Maybe not you, but I did a small dance.

Hurricane Happenings

I live in an area of Louisiana that is just going to get grazed by Hurricane Isaac. We have giant gusts of wind right now and are expecting a lot of rain tonight and tomorrow, but that's about it. I've grown up in hurricane country. To me this is nothing new. My father helped many of his congregants pick up the pieces over and over again after storms. Sad as it is, it's part of a way of life there. They lose it all, pour bleach on what's left and start all over again. I even had my house flood once and lost everything when I was pregnant the first time. Hurricane Katrina missed us, but her sister Rita ruined most everything I owned. Such is life. It's stuff. Stuff can be replaced. That's just memories....past. I don't live to remember the past. I live to journey toward my future. The promise of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. The parents of a friend of mine are pastors in a low lying area south of New Orleans. They have just lost everything. What are they thinking of? Their people. Especially the ones who chose to stay behind. I'm praying for them today. Not only that they remain strong as the long, long process of cleaning up begins, but that they are able to show their people what really is important in this life. And it ain't a house full of stuff. You probably won't hear too much about them on the news. I read an article today that reported their area as "thinly populated".  I guess if you compare it to New Orleans...


An interesting thing happened as we were preparing for this hurricane. We realized there was not much in our house that did not need to be cooked. We no longer buy prepackaged food apparently. We decided we'd better go and get some ready to eat things just in case we lose power. Roaming around the store my husband and I realized we no longer like these things. We were at a loss as to what to do! We have peanut butter, jelly and bread at home, but there must be more things! We actually ended up getting more carrots and cucumbers. We have apples and bananas. Who says ready to eat means prepackaged? We bought some peanut butter crackers that were prepackaged. This overjoyed the children. In honor of my dad (who knew how to ride out a hurricane in ultimate comfort) we got some potato chips and jalapeño cheese dip. I could not bring myself to purchase the potted meat and vienna sausages though. Ugh. I bought a couple of bottles of barbecue sauce because if we lose power we'll have plenty of meat that needs to be eaten...we might need to have a block party! Then I grabbed disposable plates and called it good. I also figure that if we lose power we'll have to make a whole meal just ice cream so that doesn't got to waste. Seriously though, it was interesting to discover that my tastes have changed so much over time. The only thing I wish I had right now is a ton of chocolate. And I'm glad I don't actually have it because by the time this hurricane is over I would have gained back all 10 pounds that I've lost.....

Creamy Rock Soup....Round 2

A while back I told of an experience in which I made potato soup. The soup won. Despite cooking all day the potatoes never softened. I'm pretty sure they were mutant potato rocks not meant for human consumption.

So, I gathered my wits and tackled creamy potato soup once more. This time I used a recipe I pinned to Pinterest: Slow cooker Loaded Baked potato Soup. I was intrigued by the slow cooker part, however the slow cooker was largely un needed. As a matter of fact, if you don't have a larger slow cooker, it won't fit! My slow cooker is five quarts and it BARELY fit. I had to switch containers for the final step. This recipe is also pretty big. It fed my family of six and we still had leftovers.

This soup is creamy (without heavy cream), garlic-y and just plain old good! It would have been better with bacon, but this WAS my meatless meal for the week. I thought I'd better not crumble a bunch of bacon in it, but next time...

The prep took FOR - E - VER, dicing 5 lbs. of potatoes is not quick. I think it was worth it though. All of the children, even the finicky ones, ate a huge bowl full with cheese sprinkled on top (making yummy sounds all the way through). The time consuming part was prepping all those potatoes! I think next time I make it I'll probably forgo the slow cooker and just cook it on the stovetop. Although, the slow cooker would make it handy for days when I'll be gone all day...so rare. The best part? No mutant potatoes that refuse to get soft. No rock soup!

I just did a one hour exercise class and 10 miles on a bike yesterday evening. I'm pretty sure my legs are going to fall off. But I kinda liked it......

Goldilocks....and Porridge

This week....Oh! this week....

We have started to prepare for our new school schedule (which starts Sept. 3rd) by getting up earlier in the mornings. The schedule I have worked up has us starting school work at 8. That means that breakfast must be eaten, chores must be done, people must be dressed and teeth brushed all before 8 a.m. Ugh. I have never been a morning person. I like to sleep. I NEED 8 hours of sleep to not feel tired. I LIKE to have more. That ain't happening. We are getting up at 6 a.m. Well except for yesterday when I forgot to turn my alarm on. I slept til 7:30. I'm sure you must feel how upset I was by that. If I sit still too long I tend to fall asleep. I keep telling myself I just need to get used to the schedule. Oh man how I wish my belly would let me have caffeine!!!

I tried a new breakfast recipe. Refrigerator Oatmeal (Summer Porridge) I'm still trying out all the various flavors. I found chia seeds on Amazon. I wonder if I could have gotten it at my local mom and pop health food store. It's so far away, I didn't even try. This stuff is delicious! The first flavor we tried was a variation of the Blueberry Maple. We don't have any maple syrup in the house so I used honey. Most everyone liked it. Not all loved it though. I had one kid that ate around the blueberries and another that ate only blueberries. Once I did a little grocery shopping I made the recipe again. I made Blueberry and Honey again for my oldest and his dad. They are some that really liked it the first time. Then, I made some of the other kids peanut butter banana. They loved this flavor! They actually said that. "I love this stuff!" I had banana cocoa. That one was very yummy. Maybe my favorite. There are so many different flavor combinations though, that I'm going to keep trying them until I find my favorites. I think apple cinnamon is next!

Our meatless meal was veggie spaghetti....again. This time I put squash and canned beans in the sauce. It was just okay. Maybe it's that we're all getting tired of veggie spaghetti. I've got to scour the internet for new veggie recipes. The same thing over and over is getting old. I really want a gumbo though. If only this weather would cool off!

I had been having a great run with my IBS. No symptoms since I changed my probiotic. Then, last weekend I went to my sister-in-law's baby shower. There was lots of rich food there. That was Saturday. Sunday, I almost died. Not really, but man I was sick. I know better, but I said "it's fine." It was not fine. I wonder if I'll ever be able to control my impulse to eat things that will hurt me. There was one thing there though, that I would love to make myself. It was a puff pastry filled with orange creme and topped with fresh fruit. I ate one. I wanted to eat them ALL! I hear my husband's aunt has this recipe. My mother in law keeps her recipe cards close to her vest, so I might have to see if I can get the recipe for these from Auntie....They really are so very good!

I've been faithfully going to the gym twice a week while my husband plays zookeeper. I haven't counted calories, but have tried to make wise choices (except for Saturday). My reward? I've lost about 10 pounds. This makes me happy. Not that I care what I look like altogether too much, but I know it means I'll be that much healthier. And next year when the doctor looks at me and says "are you exercising?" I can say, "why yes I am!"

Lentils.....and Yogurt

But not together! This week our meatless meal was lentils and rice. Dad was out of town and we invited Grandma over for dinner. She liked my lentils. I'm so proud! :) All the children, even the newest additions were all about eating some rice and "beans" the littles don't exactly get what a lentil is but when I said "bean" their little Cajun hearts leapt with joy!

Lentils were not my shining culinary moment this week though. I made Greek yogurt.....in my slow cooker! I came across a recipe and "pinned" it. The recipe was simple and effective! I was so happy that I MADE organic Greek yogurt for much less than I would have paid to buy it.

Yesterday the children had a yummy breakfast of silver dollar pancakes and fruit. They dipped it all in home made yogurt sweetened with a little bit of local honey. I felt so wholesome while I watched them chow down as I sipped on my fancy smoothie made of bananas, soy milk and dates.

Soon I'll be experimenting with another "pinned" recipe for "Summer Porridge". I'm excited to try it. I wonder if the kids will like it. Stay tuned...

I'm still going to the gym regularly, which is a miracle from God only made possible by my husband's insistence that I get away. I take a class that gives me some toning exercises since I've overcome the weirdness of going to a class. I have NOT overcome the weirdness of standing in the gym and reading the sticker that shows how to use the machine...so class it is. My favorite part though is biking. Weird. My in-laws cycle and I'm always making fun of them and their long bike rides. Here I am though on a stationary bike going 12, 13, 14 miles and enjoying it! I wonder if I'd go farther if I hadn't just gotten out of a one hour exercise class. I still don't see myself ever getting into a pair of those ridiculously tight padded shorts....

Bread Bowls and....Classes

Tonight was meatless Tuesday. I don't even want to know how many calories were in the broccoli and cheese soup served in a homemade bread bowl! My husband does know, but I asked him not to tell me. It was good though. The kids loved it. They also thought it was cool that they could eat their "bowl". The smaller ones did not grasp the concept and started to eat the bowl before the soup. Dad intervened before mess ensued though.

Speaking of my husband, he's Super dad. He's been shooing me out the door a couple times a week so that I feel I must come to the gym and workout. And now I have a friend who has joined my gym. The classes I had sworn I'd never try because I'd feel stupid? Yeah. She talked me into one. Zumba of all things! I just finished doing an hour of it. Worse? It wasn't that bad. I almost had fun (except for stumbling all over myself because I don't know the moves....and those moves! Ladies, they are not for chaste women!) I don't dance, especially like that!

So, after broccoli cheese soup and half a bread bowl...after one hour of Zumba...guess where I'm typing this. On the app on my phone, on a recumbent bike. Yes, my friends, I think a monster has indeed been created. And maybe, just maybe, I will have burned enough calories for cake.

Procrastination....and Progress

My life has suddenly become so busy that Meatless Monday has become next to impossible to have ACTUALLY on Monday. That's not to say I'm throwing out the idea all together. It just most likely will have to be Totally Tofu Tuesday.....or Wery Weggie Wednesday....

Either way, I'm still committed to a healthier lifestyle for myself and my family...whether they like it or not. I was trying to explain to someone how my brain works. Regulations and restrictions that I have to be constantly mindful of are completely unsustainable to me. My life is complicated enough thank you; I do not need something else of which to keep tally. I decided the only way for me to live a healthier existence is to let it happen naturally. One change at a time. (I'm pretty sure I was not this articulate and coherent while explaining it verbally...)

Unfortunately, my husband took the last (and hardest) change in hand for me. There really was nothing left for me to do. I have decreased the amount of food I eat over time. I have begun to make healthier choices. I drink more water. What's left? Exercise. I hate it. I really do.

Last week I talked about getting some much needed alone time by going to the gym. I loathe the idea. Well, my husband reads my blog. He pretty much said, "you need some time off. After dinner tomorrow you should leave." I said, "where will I go?" He cleverly said, "I don't know...your mom's...the gym..." Okay okay...I'm leaving and going to the gym. Well, I have had a membership there since March. I had never set foot in the door. I went for a walk at the outdoor track once, but that was it. Expensive walk...

So I show up at the gym all self conscious in my giant t-shirt and yoga pants. I don't know why I even own yoga pants. I tell the attendant my problem. I know where nothing is or how to work it. He was so nice and walked me all over the gym and showed me all the things. He kept asking if I wanted him to show me this or that. All the machines intimidated me so I asked to just start on a recumbent bike. He brought me over to one of the bikes where there was a svelte looking older lady riding right on the side. As I played the newbie and asked what does this button do and fumbled all over trying to get my feet on the peddles, the lady next to me showed her intolerance for out of shape newbies. I kept hearing giant sighs with each new question I asked. I bit the bullet though and ignored her while I made sure I could operate this piece of machinery. Then the attendant set the bike for a 15 minute "Pike's Peak" workout. What part of "beginner" does he not understand?! And then he left. He abandoned me on Pike's Peak!

Guess what though? I finished that 15 minutes on "Pike's Peak". Then I went back for more. All total I spent an hour and 15 minutes on that bike and rode somewhere between 15 and 16 miles. (I don't remember how far Pike's Peak was.) I mean, yeah, it was a recumbent bike but I did it. And I kind of enjoyed it. Has a monster been created? That remains to be seen. But maybe I'll lose a few more pounds. My doctor would be so proud.

Meatless Tuesday this week was soup, salad and breadsticks. Well, most of us were meatless. We had leftover chicken and dumpling soup. I gave the children a choice. Some chose chicken and dumpling. Others chose minestrone. This time I had all sorts of random veggies in there. Including beet greens and okra. I have decided that you can put anything in this soup and it magically becomes yummy. The new additions to our household were not fond of the "finish your salad" rule. They wanted to eat three leaves of lettuce and call it good. I refused to give them soup until they finished all their salad. They did it, but they were not happy about it. I wonder what terrible veggie filled monstrosity I'll force them to eat next week....

Setbacks....and Time out

Remember all that talk about getting it together? About being another year older and really making things happen this time? It seems I really should keep those comments to myself. Evil forces hear them and use them to mock me. What those guys don't know is I'm not easily knocked down. Distracted? Yes. But eventually I remember my goal. Eventually..... This is why it has taken me 3 years to lose 25 pounds. But, darn it, I HAVE managed to keep those pounds off! I just happen to let myself get distracted from losing more.

So, no sooner than those "I'm gonna do this" statements had left my mouth, yet another setback. A distraction...or seven. I started having trouble with IBS again. SEVERE trouble. Then, wham. Foster placement. Suddenly the number of children in my home doubled and I'm trying to parent from the bathroom. (Not effective I might add.)

It took some doing but I finally figured out what caused the tummy trouble. Do yourself a favor. When your health and well being is on the line, don't switch from one probiotic to another just because it's a good bit cheaper. There are reasons.

As far as being outnumbered by children? Well, so far it's okay. I spend most of my day supervising SOMEONE through a time out. Sometimes I wish I could put myself in time out. But wait. I can. AND find a way around my "I'm too busy to exercise" excuse. I'm thinking of taking a couple of days a week and going to the gym after supper. My hubby will be home to wrangle the animals, and I get a very much needed "time out". Now, I have to actually do it. If I asked the husband to stay on top of it he'd make sure I made the time. But that would make me annoyed. Ah well.

Yesterday was one of the worst days in the history of parenting. Or at least it felt that way to me. One of my biological children has been complaining of sore throat and fever for a couple of days. Dutifully, I called the pediatrician who, of course, said bring her here so that I can get paid. (Maybe not those exact words) I bring ALL the children with us to the doctor's office and spend about 45 minutes "shushing" in the waiting area. We get back and see the pediatrician (who really IS wonderful) and he tells me her tonsils and surrounding lymph nodes are pretty swollen. He prescribes an antibiotic. Off to the pharmacy. Did I mention it's raining? So we get the meds and get back home.

I spend the rest of the afternoon putting people in time out and seriously considering driving through for supper... On Meatless Monday! I am ashamed. Then God gave me a lightbulb moment. Leftover Spanish rice and Ranch Style Beans. If you've never had them you won't miss them, but those little dudes sure are pretty good. This is what I feed all the children. The sick one wouldn't eat though. She lives solely off of Tylenol and throat drops. I was pretty proud of myself. When faced with the decision to either drive through for unhealthy food or try to whip up something at home, I chose the latter.

Last night, the sick one kept me up half the night crying. I finally got to sleep and the others woke up begging to be fed. I love my job, but the hours stink!

So right now the youngest children are napping while the elders are watching Inspector Gadget. (Who remembers that one?) Excuse me while I lie in the bed and think about how glorious it will be to work up a sweat in a mostly quiet gym. I will think these things from behind my eyelids. And then I shall do them eventually...

Beans...and Bellies

Meatless Monday was not really meatless last night. We had red beans, rice and sausage. Well...THEY had red beans, rice and sausage. My IBS has been super touchy lately so I've been eating easier to digest foods. I had one egg and some rice.

Sunday was one of the worst days I have had in a long time. I had a sick kid at church AND a "stomach bout". I told myself that I can't afford to be sick all the time when I have a house full of kids! So yesterday, I was extra careful about what I ate. No yummy red beans and sausage for me.

Still today I am sick yet again. And I don't know why. Maybe I should switch back to my old brand of probiotic. I have been using a less potent one because it's cheaper. This may not have been my best budget saving maneuver.

So hopefully I'll be well enough to enjoy the 4th, as well as the hubby's and my anniversary date coming up! It's miserable when you're afraid to eat. ...

Fostering...and Familiarity

For those who do not already know, my husband and I are certified foster/adoptive parents. We received a foster placement recently. The only details I'll give (to protect them) are that it was more than one child, and MAN are they finicky! These children are a mite undisciplined, and also not used to sitting down to actual meals. They looked at me like I was nuts when I said the only thing we have to drink is water. Oh what a time we have had...

Trying to give everyone something familiar as well as healthy, one of my first endeavors was spaghetti. Except it was the sneaky version where I grate squash, eggplant and zucchini and chop some spinach to add to the sauce. You should try this. I promise they do not even know it is there! I can always eat spaghetti without a problem, even with my IBS. This time was not always.

That sneaky spaghetti did not agree with me. It seems my stomach is suddenly more sensitive. I got so tired of being sick that I stopped eating everything except French bread and peppermint tea for a day. Once I was feeling human again, I started very closely adhering to the guidelines of an IBS diet set forth by expert IBS sufferer Heather Van Vorous. The lady is a genius. Anyway, I started eating things that are easier for my body to digest, and (surprise of surprises) meats and fats are not on that list!


I made myself a quick squash teriyaki stir fry and put it over white rice one night. Last night though, was the night of deliciousness. I can't wait to have an excuse to do it again! Pizza! The children really enjoyed making their own pizzas "all by myself". I actually got them to eat! The kids had tomato sauce, bell pepper, onion, chicken and mozzarella cheese. Because they chose the toppings themselves and put it on themselves there was no "I don't like that" or picking things off...heavenly! The grown up pizza was the best pizza in all the land. After making our crust we topped ours with a spicy barbecue sauce (homemade because that's how I roll), onions, bell peppers and chicken (but no cheese). It was soooo good! AND so tummy friendly that I still feel good today!

Now, for supper tonight...

Veggie pasta....barbecue style?

So yesterday was interesting. I was pinned to the recliner most of the day with a sick little one. She awoke looking tragic and pale and said "Momma. My belly hurts". It's hard to tell at that point what the child actually means. Her belly could actually hurt (although that is rare). She could be hungry (she either has trouble differentiating the two feelings or has trouble expressing what feeling it actually is). She also could simply be fishing for attention. So I took her temperature like a dutiful Mommy. She had no fever. She was asking to eat. So I assume it's just the hungry thing again. I give her a hand full of almonds and some water and shoo her out of my kitchen so that I can put some chicken to marinate in barbecue sauce. Then I start on breakfast. By this time my child is doubly tragic and asking to "sit on" me. So I put aside breakfast prep for a minute and sit in the chair to watch cartoons. She promptly shows me that, in fact, her belly did hurt. Yuck. So we wash up and spend most of the day in the chair.

I'm wracking my brain wondering if she ate something that didn't agree with her or if she has a virus. I FORGOT to wrack my brain about what I was going to fix with that chicken! By early afternoon The Tragic One is running circles around my living room and I STILL don't have the slightest notion as to what I'm going to make with the chicken! I put the chicken in to bake, all the while wondering what on earth is going to be eaten with it.

Now I go to the pantry and fridge and just start grabbing stuff. Fresh squash, onion, mushroom, garlic, olive oil, penne pasta, chicken bouillon. I start sautéing the veggies and boiling the pasta. Veggies are sautéed. Now what? What makes it have flavor AND tie it into the flavors of the chicken?! Just then I had a weird idea. Barbecue flavored sauce!

I uneasily went forward with my idea. This could be a huge mistake...or not. One way to find out? Try. I made a little roux in the pan with my veggies. Cooked it for a minute to get rid of the flour taste, then added a couple of cups of water. I threw in some bouillon cubes and some barbecue sauce, stirred it up and gave it a taste. Something is missing. I added my noodles and more barbecue sauce. Something is still missing. My hubby tasted. He agreed. Something isn't quite right. Then we both say "Meh." and start serving plates. The funny thing is, the more we eat it, the more we yum. At first it's like "What's missing?!" Then it turns into "Delicious!!" The kids even enjoyed it. I wonder what would make it awesome from the very first bite. It's most certainly different...

Wery Weggie Wednesday.....Ah - Ah - Ah...

What?! It was the first title to come to my head...

I have had a birthday. I am now twenty - *cough*murmur*eight*cough*. I sit here, another year older, and think about what I have (and have not) accomplished. I am proud of my culinary accomplishments. My family and I are eating all sorts of vegetables. Some weeks we have two or three meatless meals instead of just one. Our meat consumption has drastically decreased. I'm not looking to cut out meat altogether; I believe there is a place for it in our diet. Just not nearly as much as we have been accustomed to eating. Of course, our diet change has come partly out of my determination to change it and partly out of necessity. In case you haven't noticed, groceries have gotten more expensive. Meat is no longer cheap! So, I look for ways to use less of it in my usual dishes, or to just cut it out altogether. My hand has had to pull more tightly on the purse strings this year, and while I now buy organic cow's milk (my children despise almond milk so I have given up that battle) and also participate in a CSA, my grocery costs have remained the same or less because of cutting back on meat. My digestion has improved drastically. Apparently, my belly does not particularly care for meat. So I feel better now than I did this time last year.

Some of the things I have not accomplished this past year?...

I was taken aback recently when a friend (albeit jokingly) said, "you guys only eat fast food like what...5 times a year? You're super mom". This was said as she was munching on fries I envied so much. I was also told earlier this year that someone was "intimidated" by me. ME! I do not see myself as intimidating for sure. This made me take a step back and try to look at myself like an outsider looking in. Yes, I make everything from scratch...mostly. Because I love to create in the kitchen, and I have developed a passion for feeding my family real food. It all started though, from necessity. It's just cheaper to buy ingredients to make something yourself than to pay for the prepackaged version. Not to mention, the ingredients can usually make something else. I didn't have a choice but to make everything from scratch and stop eating out so often. Supermom I am not. So do I like seeming to come across to some that way? I don't think so...

I still have not found a form of physical exercise that I am excited about. People make suggestions and I make excuses. I think, in my 29th year, it's time to stop making excuses and develop some enthusiasm for physical exertion. I have had multiple people suggest I might enjoy cycling. For now, though, I think I should just try and make use of that gym membership I paid for. I still have not planted a garden. I so wanted one this year. If I could actually get things to grow and produce I'd be so excited. I might would lose weight with all the work that comes with gardening too. But another spring has passed. I wonder what can be planted this late in the year?

My birthday was Monday. I got up all gung-ho and ready to make a veggie lasagna. Our CSA box had zucchini, squash and basil. I knew instantly this meant veggie lasagna. So, I got it all together, but was surprised with dinner out for my birthday. The lasagna went in the fridge until yesterday evening. I had just enough time to get it out of the oven before I had to leave for a Tupperware party. Yes. They still do those.. The family ate the lasagna last night, but I didn't get to taste it until today at lunch. (Hence the catchy title..)

So here I am. Sitting one year older, with heartburn thanks to my tomato sauce, pondering all the changes that have been made and still feeling they are not quite enough...

Leeks!

Yesterday, was incredibly productive! The hubby had yesterday as a holiday (Happy Memorial Day), and so he spent it working on building that sand box for the kids. In Louisiana it is already HOT! We had temps just over ninety degrees yesterday. I went out for a few minutes and I was pretty sure I was going to die. I'm a wilting Daisy. I used to be able to take the heat, but now, I think all my extra insulation traps it and I get overheated very quickly. That's my scientific assessment. I helped to spread the sand while my poor hubby played pack mule. He loaded up the sand into the garden cart and rolled it to the back yard. One load at a time we got the sand box done. (Mostly him.) The kids love it!

Look at how much fun they're having!

From a culinary standpoint, we had a very healthy day. Everyone got up and had their usual oatmeal or cereal. I had a breakfast shake made with banana, egg white and chocolate almond milk. It was delicious! I also had a half bagel and some cream cheese. Then, everyone set to work. My hubby started building the sand box, the kids started "helping" and I sat down at the computer to figure out what in the world I was going to do with all the leeks I've been getting! I have leeks coming out of my ears people. I froze some, that I have been using to put into everything: from stews and soups to stir fry. "Oh, we're gonna eat? Let me put leeks in that." Then, I got MORE leeks this Saturday. I had several people tell me "Leek and Potato Soup!!" So, I set out on a quest to find a good leek soup recipe. After searching for about 30 minutes and realizing I had ingredients from bits and pieces of several different recipes and a basic concept of what leek soup is, I simply said, "I reject your recipes and substitute my own." I'll post the measurements in the recipe on the recipe page. I used bunches and bunches of leeks, celery, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, butter, flour, chicken broth and white wine. I put it all together and let it simmer all day to get the flavors to marry.

Meanwhile, I needed something to feed people for lunch. My poor hubby was working in the heat so I thought I'd get together a light cool lunch, but it needed to be nutrient rich to replenish what he was losing. (He sweats gallons.) We got some spring mix lettuce in our CSA box this week (with the leeks...). What's cold and refreshing on a hot day? Salad! I had the spring mix and tomatoes from my CSA box. I also had sweet baby bell peppers. I boiled some eggs for protein, and cut up some fruit. Then, I blended up a frozen fruit smoothie. What a feast! And we ate it outside on our new patio; sitting under our new patio umbrella. It hit just the right spot.

After handling the clean up from lunch, I got outside and helped my hubby finish the sand box. He hauled  sand and I spread it. We got it done and it was time for supper, but first....baths! The kids were caked with sand. My house may never be clean again. We all managed to degrit ourselves and sit down to supper. I buzzed the soup with a stick blender to give it a creamier smooth consistency. I ate it as is and it was pretty good. The kids and hubby had the bright idea to put some leftover rice in theirs. The kids thought it was really good. Andrew (my tiny gourmet) said it was the best veggie soup I have ever made! The hubby said that he wasn't sure at first, but the more he ate it the more he liked it. By the end he was saying, "that stuff is good!" So I guess now I know what to do with leeks. It's a good thing they liked it because I have a huge bucket of it in the fridge. Leftovers for a week! Maybe I'll freeze some. Hmm..

Lo Mein....and Sore Muscles

The past few days have been awfully eventful! The hubby and I have been wanting to extend our outdoor patio area, and this weekend we managed to rope a few family members into helping accomplish it. We're so happy with the results, and thankful for family who will help us just so we can save a few bucks! Well, to pour concrete, a lot goes into preparing the area. Including stripping sod and putting down a layer of fill sand. I had nothing to do with this. BUT, after the men were done I was left with a huge pile of fill sand in my front yard spilling onto the walkway. This fill sand will eventually be used to make a sandbox for the kids. Until then, its sole purpose is to get tracked into my house. Yesterday I decided I'd clean up and contain the sand so that not so much of it would make its way in. People, I kid you not when I tell you that typing right now even hurts! I swept all the sand off the driveway, then I shoveled the sand off the walkway and back onto the pile where it belongs. My corn husk broom is now nothing but a nub. I sweated (is that a word?) like a pig and burned a zillion calories. And now....I am SO incredibly sore! This, however, is the kind of exercise I like. Where something actually gets accomplished. I felt so good at the end of the day. Maybe I'd lose all my weight if I went to work in the construction industry.

For dinner (and Meatless Monday) I prepared Veggie Lo Mein. I followed a recipe in my IBS cookbook and tweaked it to include veggies I had in the fridge. Did you know that if it's a veggie you can stir fry it successfully? We all liked this one. I'll post it on the recipe tab in short order. I used onions, summer squash and green beans all from my CSA box this week. I also used sweet baby bell peppers and leeks. Man, I still got a lotta leeks. All stir fried up with ginger and garlic and some soy sauce...yummy! My kids ate everything, not just the noodles like they usually do. They might have left some onions behind when all was said and done, but who cares! They ate it and didn't go "I don't like that". Here's a quick tip for you: if you're going to attempt this recipe, for the love of all things holy, use a non stick pan of some sort! I do not own a non stick pan. My noodles held fast and would not let go. It was carnage. I'm asking for a wok for my birthday...

CSA and Balance

Wow! It's been a long time. My world has been a little upside down and a lot busy. I feel like I've finally regained some of my balance. I don't think I even realized I was out of whack until everything fell back into place again. Does that even make sense?

Since I last wrote, We have started the spring/summer season of a CSA(Community Supported Agriculture)  share at our local "natural" farm. We are enjoying trying all sorts of new veggies, although I have no idea what to do with the fennel we just got. Fennel. It smells like licorice. That just makes me cringe. We have discovered that we love oven roasted beets though. Well, Mom and Dad do. The kids aren't so fond. I wonder if they'd eat it if I put it on pizza.

We finally got back to Meatless Monday here this Monday. Dad and I planned a little surprise to take the kids on a picnic dinner. I made Minestrone Pasta Salad. I got the recipe from Ready Set Eat. It has all the flavors of minestrone soup in a pasta salad. Noodles, beans, squash, carrots, tomatoes. I liked it. Dad liked it. The kids just wanted to play. They picked all the noodles and beans out and ran off. Good enough? I'm not sure, but it's a start back in the right direction for healthy eating.

I've learned that eating healthy on a budget is all about choosing your battles. It's a lot easier to do when I just go and grab a pre-prapared box of veggies every week. It also forces a little diversity into our dinner routines. I mean, fennel....

Andrew....The Tiny Gourmet

This week's Meatless Monday consisted of Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake. I felt the meal could have used something else. I kind of had the feeling I was missing something and just eating a side dish. It WAS good though. Both kids ate it like it was going out of style. Of course, give them something with a noodle and they usually do. My husband liked it as well. I've just got to figure out how to make it feel like a more cohesive meal. This would make me happier.

This dish was loaded with veggies though. And veggies that kids usually wrinkle their little noses at! I bumped up the nutritional value of the dish by replacing the plain pasta the recipe originally called for with a whole grain "garden" variety. So it was made with whole grains PLUS the little bit of vegetable juice that they use to make the pasta all the pretty colors.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was scrambling for something to cook for supper. What I ended up with was "cheesy rice and sausage". Certainly not good for you, but pretty tasty! My six year old, Andrew, who LOVED spinach artichoke pasta bake did NOT love cheesy rice. Every kid's dream: rice and tons of cheese. No go for Andrew. I'm turning my kids into health food lovers. And I'm okay with that. Now if only I could follow suit.

Another One for the Box!

This week I did not exercise any more, but I DID find an awesome recipe that everyone loves! You win some, you lose some...

So, I found this recipe on Ready, Set, Eat! It's called Spinach Walnut Penne, and it was a hit! First, let me tell you a little about Ready, Set, Eat. This is a meal planning website which will allow you to search recipes based on a main ingredient (or meatless), how much time you have, and even what's on sale in your local grocery store. I signed up for a weekly email that I kind of forgot all about.

Monday morning, as I was weeding through the enormous amounts of email that seem to come to my inbox in the middle of the night, I was going "WHAT AM I GOING TO COOK TONIGHT?!?!" (I totally just typed that while holding down the shift key...who needs caps lock?) There it was, email number 6,752....Ready, Set, Eat "4 Delicious Vegetarian dinners" I heard "Hallelujah Chorus". I read the email and decided that Spinach Walnut Penne sounded super tasty. I was really excited about it actually.

I had everything in the house except for spinach and walnuts....off to the store it is. This meal took all of maybe 30 minutes to prepare. That made me happy. It tasted great. That made me AND everyone else happy. The only critique we had was that my husband didn't care for the crunchiness of the walnuts mixed in with everything else. Maybe if I had followed instructions and chopped the walnuts it wouldn't have been so noticeable. Oops. Maybe next time, because there will be a next time for this dish. Soon.

My (Almost) Vegetarian Day

Monday, I tried to come up with something meat free for me to eat for every meal. I'm borrowing my mom's juicer so I can try it out and decide if it's something I will buy for myself. So far, I love it. Monday morning I made myself fresh carrot/apple juice. It was so good and I didn't add anything to it! The glass of juice itself was enough to fill me up so I didn't have anything else for breakfast. The children do not like carrot/apple juice. We don't usually buy juice so it's always a treat for them to have, but they would not take more than one sip of this juice. I'm eager to try just plain apple juice and see if they like it any better.

For lunch I made myself one of my new favorite things: a Greek yogurt smoothie. I love these! It's very simple. I put a banana, a six oz. container of flavored Greek yogurt, a few berries (if I have them) and enough vanilla almond milk to reach the 16 oz. mark on the blender pitcher (I know, my precise measurement thrills you). I blend it all up and yum!

For dinner (Meatless Monday mind you) I decided to do a baked potato bar. My husband said he would love to have the potato bar again on a day he's carb loading before a long run. He loves baked potatoes, and so does my oldest. They were very happy to see potatoes. I baked giant russet baking potatoes, and giant sweet potatoes. It's actually very simple to do. Move the oven racks to the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Put aluminum foil on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 375° Scrub the potatoes, poke about 8 - 12 deep holes with a fork, coat them lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt. Bake the potatoes on the top rack for at least an hour. Mine took an hour and half because I was cooking so many. Check for doneness by poking them with a fork. We had butter, sour cream, green onions, cheese and.....bacon. There's the 'almost' in my vegetarian day. I put crumbled bacon on my baked potato.

This day was one of my better food days in a long time. I had tons of fruits and veggies and natural sources of all sorts of vitamins and minerals. I felt so good too. Not bloated and "ugh I ate too much, but it's meal time so I'm going to eat again..." When it got close to meal time, my stomach growled, and so I ate enough to be satisfied. The only time my stomach ever growls is halfway through church on Sunday because I never eat anything Sunday morning then I over eat at lunch to make up for the not eating. If I could have more days like Monday I'd be a happy camper. Oh, and I walked on the treadmill for a mile. I had to stop after a mile because my left knee was not happy...it hasn't been happy for a while now...but I actually exercised. Tuesday and Wednesday haven't been nearly as healthy, but not bad either. Am I starting to turn it around? Maybe. As much as I hate to think of it, I should probably step on a scale sometime soon....

Momma hides spinach....and they don't care!

This week we had a pretty good Meatless Monday. I made a recipe that I pulled out of a magazine ages ago. Spinach Mac and Cheese. I was a little nervous since the spinach is very visible. Will my kids eat it? And the answer is....YES! And they didn't even ask me, "what's this green stuff?" They just heard the words "mac and cheese". They were committed. Dad and I thought the recipe lacked something. Maybe it would be better with my usual cheese sauce. So I modified the recipe I posted in Spinach Mac and Cheese to reflect changes I would make next time. I'd love to hear your opinions about this recipe!

I haven't made very good choices this week. I don't feel well, and it shows in my eating. I just want to curl up and eat ice cream because my throat hurts and my ears hurt...Actually, I had ice cream for breakfast this morning. Sigh. Will I ever break loose of these bad habits?  Well I can try one day at a time, one meal at a time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have laundry to do...

Minestrone....Round 2!

Tonight we had minestrone. I thought it would be a perfect night for soup since our crazy Louisiana weather can't make up its mind what it wants to be! Today it decided to be winter. Great soup weather! My kids gobbled up my version of veggie soup. The hubby loves it too! He was so excited to walk through the door and find a pot of soup simmering on the stove. I also made homemade yeast rolls because, well, I love bread! It is my weakness.

Now, in addition to Meatless Monday last week, I had a Meatless Wednesday! TWO days last week with not a meat in sight! I made myself a smoothie for lunch that consisted of almond milk, Greek yogurt, and banana. It was delicious! And of course, I had leftover butternut squash sauce and pasta for supper. That day I REALLY wanted french fries, but I made healthy choices instead. Still craving those french fries though....

I'm Baaaaack!

Well, after a long, hard fall and holiday season, it seems my world is mostly back to normal. As normal as life can be that is. So we're back to Meatless Monday here! I'm so thrilled to be back on a healthier track of eating! Tonight we had my favorite pasta and butternut squash sauce. You can find that recipe in the recipe tab. Of course, my children don't like butternut squash sauce. Silly children. So I made for them my "Veggie Skettie Sauce" (recipe also posted!) This made everyone happy. Between salad, pasta and garlic toast we had some full bellies!

I realized how long we had been without making an effort at nutritious eating when my husband was so excited about salad he licked the salad bowl clean. Now, don't get me wrong, we didn't revert back to burgers and fries every night, but my conscious efforts to cram veggies into every space available had disappeared. It seems though, that we have been eating well long enough that it's a habit, however. Our food choices were pretty good these past few months. My kids ask for yogurt and carrots as snacks...without prompting! I'm excited to see though how fanatical we can get about healthy eating from here!

We've signed up for the spring crop share season at a local organic farm. Who knows what kinds of crazy things we'll get to try! And I really, really want a juicer. My mom has one, and I got a taste for juicing at her house...I want one!

I went shopping for clothes recently and bought things in sizes I never thought I'd see again. I haven't weighed myself in months, but I'm down two pant sizes. Shocking! I'm still avoiding the scale though. I hate it. Maybe because it tells me my body fat percentage...or maybe just because it tells me all sorts of info about my health that I know is bad. So I'll avoid the scale some more, and continue to make smart choices. Oh, and that hip pain I was complaining about months ago? Practically gone. I can't wait until it's just a memory.

I'm plodding along here and hoping that I can find time to exercise soon. You know, besides all that housework....