Friday, July 24, 2009

Traveling Light

We will be leaving for a six day trip on Monday. I want to take the time this weekend to put together my wardrobe and pack, so everything is not just tossed into the case at the last minute. A pair of capris, jeans a couple of tshirts and a dress ought to do it.

I recently bought a couple dresses from QVC that will be great travel items. The first clue was the fact that they came out of the yellow shipping bag with nary a wrinkle. They are a soft poly spandex blend that just floats around the body. One of the dresses is sleeveless though, so it is best left at home. The other is a simple black swing dress with a scoop neck...a perfect backdrop for scarves and necklaces. It also goes with a black and white cotton cardigan that I bought this spring. If the weather was cooler? It would also be perfect under my new red trench coat. Having few pieces that can be used together is such a simple concept, although it was extremely difficult to pare down to so few items. I am only missing the "crisp white shirt" that is touted as being one of the core pieces. I don't do crisp well...being more of a "sweater girl" as my dear old mom used to say! It is true though...knits seem to be so much more flattering to my body type. And yes, I do have a three way mirror!

Another area I am trying to pare back, is my cosmetics bag. I have always been a bit of a product junky, but as my skin is getting older, it is even more persnickity, so the fewer things I use, the better. The downside is finding the products that agree with me, and do the job. Since being on my Celiac diet, my skin is responding favourably, thank goodness.

So, that is my plan for today. To get everything ready to pack for a fun filled week!

Menu for today:
eggs, toast (GF tapioca rice cheesy bread)& butter, milk

Kitchen sink salad (my other project is to rid the frig of perishables that have perished)

Mac & cheese for supper with pickled beets, fresh pineapple with yogurt sauce for dessert

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Wednesday

With herculean effort, I managed to make a mushroom omlette for our breakfast this morning. It was a change, but I must admit, we have the "dance" of breakfast well rehearsed in our house, and this added a few fancy steps to the mix! I had some mushrooms to use up quickly, so that spurred the change. I didn't manage to down my half of the mix though...or my second piece of toast. Just as well, because the calories saved "paid" for the cheese in the omlette. Maybe that is why I didn't like it as much...I didn't have any Swiss cheese, and had to use Kraft Tex Mex. It is sort of tasteless when you compare it to the lovely flavour that real cheese has!

Onward and upward. Tonight's dinner will be the halibut I bought at Costco yesterday. I was thrilled to find a frozen package with three large fillets, which will do us easily for three meals, likely with leftovers. Slim chance of that happening!

Rick is off to a conference today, which leaves me to my own devices. Now, if I only felt better, I could do some serious damage, but as it is, I will likely nap the better part of the day. And there is quite the layer of dust to deal with in the house. I haven't done my basic housekeeping yet this week, other than scrub down the bathrooms, completely out of necessity! Activity points for that effort please!

Today's menu:

Breakfast: mushroom & cheese omlette, GF toast, bacon, coffee and milk
Lunch: herb salad mix with orange segments, raspberry vinegrette, toasted pecans
Supper: halibut filet, roasted potatoes, romaine with Caesar dressing and a trial run of GF croutons
Snack: apple and cheetos, Snack: Tiger Tiger GF ice cream cone (Tiger Tiger is completely gluten free and my favourite of all time! Whoo hoo!)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tuesday

Finally! I got out of the house for a few hours. Of course, my destinations were Costco and Sobeys, but it was a major accomplishment te get out in the world after being housebound with this flu for the last 16 days.

Now, there is one more interesting detail that may prove to be too much information for the more delicate among you. I wore my new undies! In fact? I am still wearing them! A full size smaller (girth and cup) and I am not rushing to remove and "freeboob". Yes, it is a miracle!

Today' menu:

Breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast & butter, skim milk
Lunch: smoothie (1 cup of skim milk, 1 cup of frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup Balkan style yogurt) 1 gala apple, sliced and 28 gms of Cheetos
Ah, I know, I know. But I need my junk fix!

Supper: grilled sirloin steak, roasted beet and Feta salad. This recipe was executed on Chef At Home, and when I saw a fresh bunch of beets in the store today, I just had to try it out for myself. Beets are one of my favourite vegetables in any form, but the idea of them chilled with my favourite cheese? What is not to like people?

Snack: There are so many treats in this house, that I have no idea what I will indulge in tonight. Maybe a bowl of cornflakes before bed? A nice navel orange, cut into slices? Depends on what havoc I wreck on my calorie balance at suppertime!

Monday, July 20, 2009

A brighter day....

and I am feeling like living again! It's a miracle! Unfortunately, I was hungry as a bear yesterday and really overdid it at supper, and after. First, an apple with a little bag of Cheetos while watching TV...then hubby had a great idea...Nachos. Sigh. As a result, I ate 300 calories more than I need to maintain life. I was hungry yesterday, so indulged. Back on the wagon this morning, though.

Breakfast: eggs & toast, bacon
Lunch: crispy lettuce salad with apple and pecans, toasted GF bun
Supper: fish and potatoes, peas and carrots

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Sunday

Yesterday, we had tacos and beer for supper. This morning I woke up a full pound lighter. Life is good.

Today's supper will be Freybe farmer's sausage, mashed potatoes and a mix of hot vegetables. Tiger Tiger ice cream for dessert...or maybe a buttertart....life gluten free has opened so many avenues that I just haven't wandered down in years! The cold is getting somewhat better...who knows...I may wander back out into the world sometime next week. Until then, I am working the plan!

Breakfast: eggs & bacon, toast & peanut butter, milk
Lunch: smoothie (strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, milk)
Supper: potato, farmer sausage, carrots, butter, cream corn, GF buttertart
Snack: apple and Cheetos
Snack #2: tortilla chips with cheese and salsa

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Another slow week...

I haven't been out of the house in two weeks, and it doesn't look like it is over yet. Sigh. But on the upside? I have been losing steadily to spite my schedule of eat, sleep, cough, hack and croak!

Menus have been very simple. Yesterday:

Breakfast: eggs & bacon, toast & coffee, milk
Lunch: Apple, cheetos, bagel with cream cheese and raspberry jam
Supper: baked fish, potatoes, carrots, crystal light mmmmm good
Snack: six sesame crackers and 1.5 oz cheese.

I have been trying to eat at more regular times, and yesterday, it did work. Rick has been doing all of the cooking, and he has done a great job. Tonight we are planning to enjoy some home made tacos. Imagine that! Gluten free, and what a treat!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Finding my voice....

after all the hacking, coughing and laryngitis! I can talk above a whisper, but barely. Whew! I am sure glad this is coming to an end. I thought it had me there for a minute!

So, the meal plan for today is:

Breakfast: (fait accompli) eggs & bacon, toast, milk
Lunch: chicken breast, romaine salad
Supper: again, an unknown. Truth be told, I am not very interested in supper these days, but since it is cool out, maybe a nice vegetable soup would be nice.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Unbelievable....

I have been monitoring my calories for a lifetime it seems...and all of a sudden? The sands of time are shifting. I am happy to report a ten pound loss over the last two weeks. Now how the heck did that happen? I think the gluten free diet has something to do with it for sure. My body is releasing the bloat. Whoooo HOOOO! After dealing with discouraging weigh in after weigh in, minding my diet, to the point of obsession? It is such a thrill to wake up to a point something loss every morning. I don't want to speak too soon, but this is wonderful while it lasts. I am enjoying what came today, today, and feel like shouting from the rooftops!

Breakfast:
eggs & bacon, gf toast & butter, milk - are you bored with this breakfast? I am not!

Lunch:strawberry "milkshake", sesame crackers and Boursin cheese

Supper: Again, a mystery. I will let you know tomorrow.

Summer food on the deck! Last night we had bison burgers (mine with a gf bun), potato salad and jellied salad. Topped it off with a peanut butter marshmallow square from Lorenzo's. OOey gOOey GOOD! Tastes like Reeses peanut butter cups without the chocolate, and even creamier. Don't look at me, Rick bought 'em, so the calories are going on his account!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

So, great progress has been made....

I have this theory, that the weight you gain in a short time, can't be crazy glued onto you like the stuff you have carried for years. I have managed to lose ten pounds since the beginning of the month, and we all know that just isn't possible in the real world. But, the scale doesn't lie, and there it is, in great big numbers! To add insult to injury, the new scale was a bit "harsher" than the old one, so I am dealing with a tough judge.

Never the less, I have been sick, and not doing much around the house. I have recorded every morsel that I have consumed, and have tried to not cut calories too much, or go over what I expend in a day. Whatever the reason? I am all for it! Now if the next ten pounds would come off as quickly, I would be one happy camper. Mind you, I have a feeling that if I could manage one nights sleep without waking to cough or make disgusting sounds severla times a night, I am sure that would help too.

Going gluten free has been very freeing. I am eating more baked products than I have in a good long while. I mean really! I can not remember a time where I had muffins adn squares in the house at the same time, not to mention bagels and cream cheese! gluten free food is quite calorie dense, so you have to be careful with it, but when you haven't had a bagel in ages, one coming in at 220 calories with 5 grams of fibre, can't be a bad thing! Although I did notice that the day I had that for breakfast? I was more inclined to throw caution to the wind later in the day, and seek out other treats. Live and learn. I am just one of those people that needs a hearty breakfast to start my day, I guess!

Today's menu:

bacon, eggs, toast & butter, milk for breakfast

bison burger with BUN!!!! for lunch, with a diet pop

Supper? Well who knows?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Time for lunch....

so I think I will try out those new cornflakes. At almost six bucks a box, they should taste pretty spectacular, wouldn't you think? The problem with regular cornflakes is that they contain barley malt, not a good thing for me. But hey. I am on my own, and willing to be wild, so cornflakes it is today!

Supper will be cabbage rolls once more. I will be sorry to see the bottom of that pot, for sure, as it has been so easy to put something on the table at suppertime. I am a little more interested in supper these days, but honestly? My time to eat is breakfast. Lunch? Well, a little less interested. At supper time, I really would rather not mess up the kitchen! Maybe I will have the cornflakes for supper. Yep. That makes more sense.

We had fruit smoothies for supper last night as a dessert. They turned out remarkably well:

1 cup skim milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup yogurt
Splenda

I put everything in the blender, and let 'er rip! Very nice to sip while watching "Shopoholic". Excellent fluffy movie, by the way!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Another day, another symptom....

this time it is a miserable sore throat...Rick is in his glory. I can't talk.

But boy can I eat! I am amazed at how much fuller I feel with the addition of a slice of bread or a cracker here and there. This gluten free gig is the bomb!

Today, I had the usual breakfast. Eggs, toast & PB, 80 calorie bacon and milk. Lunch was a cup of baked beans and toast, and for supper, cabbage rolls. MMM good. Right now, fresh veggies are hard on the throat, and pretty tasteless to me, so that is why the unbalanced diet. The good news was, it was 1500+ calories. And I have more than quite satisfied all day.

Activity? I finally cleaned my closet. Of course, there was nothing to toss this time, but I do have things filed away in a nicer configuration. Gotta love those movable shelf closet systems. I have really surprised myself with the number of outfits I have been able to wear this summer, when I thought I didn't have anything to wear. But so far? I haven't worn the same thing twice.

On the gluten free front? Rick came home with some gluten free cornflakes for me. Of course, they have to be "special" ones because the stupid (I had put in !@#$%&*, but I thought you might get the wrong idea!) companies put barley malt in them. There is literally nothing you have to do without to be gluten free...except maybe spare pocket money! In fact, from avoiding things like bagels and muffins? I went to having a nice little stash in my freezer. I imagine the novelty will wear off soon enough, and it will become everyday routine, but for now? It is a big deal to feel great and eat such nice little goodies!

Even with this raw throat thing, I am feeling really good. I guess over the years, I just got used to having digestive difficulties, and accepted that that was how I felt after eating. Like everything else, you have to find out what works for you. What unique individuals we all are!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Oh oh...

Well, I found out first hand that a crumb can do as much damage as a loaf. Yesterday, I made sandwiches for lunch...I used regular bread for Rick, and GF bread for me. Well. I forgot, and not only did I place the breads side by side on the cutting board, I also used the same knife to spread the butter. And then another knife to spread the mayo. THEN I used one knife to cut the sandwiches in half - just to add insult to injury. A half hour later, I was in bed, reading a book instead of enjoying a lovely summer day. Of course, it was moments till I nodded off, and napped the afternoon away. At six o'clock, I woke up with a belly ache and no desire for supper. Bad got worse when Rick made his own supper, and I smelled chicken strips and sweet potatoe oven fries. ICK. I stumbled to the kitchen and had some leftover mashed potatoes with cottage cheese...my 'go to' soothing food. Then, more snoozing until bed time.

Anyway, this morning, I still had the belly ache, so decided to skip breakfast. While I watched my sugars escalate due to not eating, I figured out what caused this episode. Now that I know I don't have to live with the symptoms? I never want this to happen again. I have decided to just buy GF products, so at least I have one safe place in this world! It remains to be seen what this will do for my weight issues but the numbers are going down from the initial gain. Karen assures me that my body will even out, so since she was right about a lot of other stuff, I just may take her word for it!

Other than that? Life is good.

Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: We had company so: Freybe Farmer sausage, baked beans, tomatoes with Feta, basil and EVOO with a drizzle of balsamic. I bought some new PC balsamic in a small pricier bottle...welll worth the cost!

Supper: I am in the mood for more potatoes and cottage cheese...but wonder how the man will take to the idea....