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...