Thursday, March 27, 2008

New day, new hair...

Ever notice that when you have a bad haircut, all you want to do is hide? Ever since my hairdresser moved last year, I have been bouncing from one disaster to another. Yesterday, I think I finally found someone to cut around the cowlicks, and mix the right colours to keep me looking okay. Whew. Just in time! I have a mani-pedi appointment booked for tomorrow too, so this has been a real 'lady' week for me. My only question is what colour toe nail polish goes with varicose veins? Where can I join the ladies that lunch bunch?

I have brought out all of my summer clothes, freshly laundered them all, and spent the morning organizing it all in the closet according to colour and "kind" - I have the mini boutique set up to shop from, so now, all I have to do is to find what goes with what and put together outfits to take. Not as easy at it may seem. What works in theory, does not work in reality.

Dresses are my first choice of cool to wear items, but my favourite two piece outfits consist of cotton bottoms and a black t-shirt. For some reason, I feel like myself in that combo, and can go quite wild on the colour of the bottoms as long as it is sandwiched in between black shoes and a black t-shirt! I don't want to over pack but at the same time, heat makes you grimy, and you need at least two changes a day. I have the little containers ready to receive the mini doses of lotions and potions - they are drying on the counter as we speak. Tomorrow I will get Rick to pick up a voltage adapter kit from CAA on the way home from the airport. Can't live without a curling iron, no matter how good the cut!

As for the toiletries? I had the rather brilliant idea to use a mesh laundry bag to put the little lids and containers in the dishwasher, rather than trying to sanitize them in the bathroom sink. Worked like a charm, I am happy to report! So it will be a snap to fill them and put them in the quart sized bag they allow on the plane. Although I am taking the majority of clothing in a suitcase to check in, I am not trusting enough to go without a change of clothes and a bathing suit in case of loss. I have lost my luggage twice on flights, and it is not pleasant wearing the same clothing until your case catches up with you!

I finished off the very last cabbage rolls for lunch today....I still can't believe so much goodness is only one point. Man, I am going to miss my own cooking! LOL But the nice thing about being waited on hand and foot, is that all you have to do is ask, and food appears. So, staying on program will be relatively easy once we are on board. I am so looking forward to having fresh fish! I could eat fish and potatoes and be quite happy for a long time!

It is getting there and back that will be the danger zones for me. Airplane food is poison, but I have a way of coping with it. There is usually something that is somewhat edible on the tray, and since hubby doesn't need the full whack of calories either, I simply steal from his tray. Works out rather well! I really must pick up some sort of purse food for sugar lows though. Sigh. So much to do, so little time.

That being said? The sun is shining and boots are no longer recquired every time you leave the house. Life seems just a little bit easier, doesn't it?

Friday, March 21, 2008

PLAN PLAN PLAN

So, this is where I will be in one short week from now! I am fussing about what to take - there are no formal nights, and the criteria is "what you would wear on your own yacht". Well, why would I be reading about what to take if I had a yacht? The first thing I would wear is a lot less flesh, because obviously, I would have a cook that could whip up a grilled chicken breast at midnight when the munchies struck, instead of falling into the Reese's Peanut Butter Bar box! What on earth is it like to own your own yacht? So not my reality!

Bargains sure are though! I am soooo into disposable clothing, which means I can look for "right now" rather than "right". It isn't a long term relationship I need...it is covering for this summer!
Last week I went to Cotton Ginny and found a lot of last summer's clothes in the back section of the store...all the tops were gone, but there were tons of nice Capri's, etc. So, for 29.31 I came home with four pairs of pure cotton Capri's, a jean skirt and a coordinating long sleeved top. The skirt goes with a jacket I purchased last week. My plan is to hang it together as an outfit, and try it on periodically until it fits! The zipper zips, but breathing is difficult. I have never been one to purchase clothing "on spec" but this time? It was just tooooooo good to pass up. I envision a time when this will be the only outfit that still fits me, and it is going to happen. I am taking so long to loose an ounce these days, that it would be so easy to give up. I am still sticking to the straight and narrow though. I have heard that some people plateau for an eternity, and it seems to be working that way with me. I am becoming more fastidious about counting every bite than ever...although, I must admit I have been omitting oils from my diet. I love the flavour of butter, but the oil may be the key for me. Tonight I roasted a chicken breast with tiny potatoes and carrots for supper. I drizzled the olive oil over all, and it was delish if I do say so myself. I still have six points left over to use by midnight, so there just may be a bowl of orange sections and pretzels in my immediate future....but, then there are cabbage rolls in the frig too....I am not even hungry and I am planning my next meal! Food is always on your mind on program. It gets quite boring, really, so that is where having a menu planning book will come in handy. With simple things that are easy to make, and shop for, I can see it being a real lifesaver when I get so sick of all 'thought for food'!


Back to the clothing issue. I must get all the summer duds washed and pressed, ready to pack over the next couple of days. I thought it would be best to pack in "outfits" as mix & match in a hot climate is not really the best way to go. You get hot, and sticky, and need at least two changes of clothing a day. That is how it worked out when we went to Hawaii, anyway. You need the feel of clean cotton against your skin in the heat. I automatically seek shade - there is a built in honing device in fair skinned people that can lead you to the one cactus plant in the dessert that will alleviate the suns harsh rays for even a millisecond. Even in the winter, I walk on the shady side of the street, so, being exposed to full sun that close to the equator is courting disaster for this pink princess! I have a variety of sun screens and blocks, motion sickness tablets, ointments and pain killers for whatever comes our way! I am not really a "roughing it" kind of person. Funnily enough, I can fit all of the paraphernalia (and I won't bore you with my 120 step skin care system that keeps Aloette in business!) in a 20" suitcase, so I guess it isn't as bad as it sounds. The trick is to get the variety of shoes that you need to have...everything else is secondary. If your feet aren't happy, you have a terrible vacation. Who wants to be someplace new, and not able to walk? NOT ME!


Anyway, that is what I have been up to today. PLAN PLAN PLAN!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Cabbage Rolls - 1 point each!


Who knew. The only thing I changed from my regular recipe, was the meat. Bison is my red ground meat of choice these days. I could not believe that these were only one point per cabbage roll! Not a traditional recipe, but hey! I haven't had any complaints so far! And we will likely have them more often, now that I know they are sooooo points friendly.
POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 27
Ingredients
2 1/4 pound cabbage, all varieties
1 bell pepper(s)
1/2 cup ketchup
8 baby carrots
3 stalks of celery
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped Maui or Vidalia onion
Bison, ground , 1 LB
1 serving Aylmer's Diced Accent Tomatoes 546 ml (I used the Red Pepper variety today)
1 serving V8 juice 1 can
finely chop bell pepper, celery, carrots and onion in food processor. Add to rice, stir in ground meat.Salt & PepperSteam large cabbage, remove leaves and form into cabbage rolls. 1/3 cup scoop per leaf....makes about 27 uniform cabbage rolls. Mix tomatoes, V8, a little hot sauce and some garlic, pour over all. Bake until tender.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

HOME!

How I love to be home! The drive to Thompson is so worth the time and pain (sitting still kills my back!) because we enjoy being with the kids. The air is so thick and rich up there, that the urge to fall asleep and sleep soundly is too strong to resist...the last night we were there, Glenda and I were sawing logs, and the men were watching what they wanted on TV .... a dangerous thing to wake up to!

Of course, staying on program was impossible. So, I graciously gave in to temptation, and am going to start fresh tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, as I am also scheduled to start sewing up a few things for the cruise. Wonder if I will ever get around to that one?

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

A beautiful day in the neighbourhood...

It was a lovely crisp winter day today. Went out in the morning, and had lunch with "Reuben Sandwich Girl"....this time? We had Gardinay Potato and Leek soup to go with the Reuben...mmmm good! Add a Fresca, and I was in hog heaven!

Supper was three, yep, three bowls of cabbage soup. I made cabbage rolls this afternoon (I used Bison again, and it worked out to be 2 points per cabbage roll!) and after steaming the head of cabbage, the water smelled too good to just toss out, so I added the scraps of cabbage, some chicken broth, and some carrots, and leftover chopped onions. I tossed in a handful of peas just before serving for a little hit of "green"...although, I think it would be better without them....simple, plain, and oh so good! So, now? I am paying for all that cabbage! Good thing Rick is out of town, and I have 'freedom of expression'! Note to self. This is not a soup to serve to company!

Monday, March 3, 2008

Tonight...

I made mini bison meatballs. Bison has 120 calories in 1/2 cup or 100gms...a pretty good deal, with very low fat to boot. I always add finely chopped veggies to the meat, to add a little "zip" but when I am in a rush, I have been known to leave it to manage on its own, with just an egg and a few breadcrumbs. We had guests for dinner tonight, so I am very glad it turned out! The glaze on top is what really sets this apart...ketchup, brown sugar and mustard make a glossy red glaze that is sweet and tangy. A pretty good taste bang for the buck! Of course, we had mashed potatoes and creamed corn - classic comfort food!

But what is really comforting? I am always amazed at the quantity of food I can have on program! I think one of the mistakes I made while not "toting up" online, was that I underestimated the amount of food I could eat, because I sure feel a lot fuller now than I have in the last couple months. Sigh. I am such a slow learner. It feels good to be back!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

6 of the 10 lbs are gone!

As of this morning. I am so relieved...it was a bit daunting to step on the scale the first morning home, and to find that I had gained a whopping ten pounds. But, with two days travelling in the car, salty restaurant food, and the odd treat here and there? How can you help it? I am sooooo glad at least this much is gone. Hopefully tomorrow will show more good news. But I sure am behind in the poundage lost column. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.

As for today? I made cod fish with a cream sauce (I used 1 T flour, 1 cup of chicken broth, and 1/2 cup of milk) in the oven, salad and wild rice pilaf for supper....all very much within points. I have 5.5 points to consume for a snack, so it looks like tonight will be tea and toast! Whooo hoo! That is a real treat! I love the thin sliced bread from Safeway that is only 90 calories for two slices. Crispy, nummy goodness.

We are catching up on our "company"...tonight we had one set, and tomorrow another. Then Rick is off on a trip for two days, leaving me to my own devices. I have a lot to do...from laundry to sewing to cleaning....I hope to get the food in for the week tomorrow, as the weather is milder, and it will be so much more pleasant to run the roads.

The other day, Rick brought home a menu planning pad from the dollar store. I plan on writing down the menus, and then, at the end of the week, on the computer, I will put together the menu and the grocery list for "next time". I need to find a snappy binder to keep the pages in.....all this of course, is not my idea, but from "Fixing Dinner", a show on the Food channel that offers remedial food preparation for families that apparently don't have time to eat together. Our problem, is that we have entirely too much time to eat together!