Monday, May 31, 2010

Early in the day, early in the week, early in the month.....

Payday today! Whoo hoo! Where did it all go so fast? Story of my life! One of the blessings in my life is a hubby with a job! Yesterday we did a good shop at Costco, so I have all the fruits and veggies my heart desires. Breakfast today was scrambled eggs topped with a bit of grated cheddar and hot salsa, and then a cup of cherries for "dessert" . My, that was good! Here it is almost supper time, and I am just beginning to get peckish. Not quite sure what supper will be, but I am sure I have the makings of a good one! Very quiet day today...basic dusting, garbage gather and bed linens changed. Tomorrow, vacuuming and kitchen get my attention. I am putting things off as hubby will be out of town for a week, and that will be a great time to toss things and shine up what is left!

Yesterday, a purple bowl found its way into our cart at Costco. It is large, and has a pearly finish, that reminds me of black pearls, or oil on a mud puddle! Sound appealing? Now, there is not a thing that is purple in our house, but this bowl is perfect for our coffee table. Sometimes things just work out. I am now thinking that a purple front door would be nice...I am going to get a quart of paint colourmatched to the tubs of flowers in the front. A rather deep, rich purple. Should be pretty. And what the heck. It is only paint.

Another find was a big duffle bag. I travel with far too many suitcases when we go on car trips. A little bag for this, a computer bag, clothes, all sorts of necessary things, but in small bags. This duffle is quite big, but should hold all of the necessities of life. There is even two levels to pack in.It makes it so much easier to pack if you have a place for everything and everything in it's place, even when it comes to suitcases. I will give this bag a try on our very next trip in June.

It was such a nice change to have sunlight streaming through the windows today! I meant to go out to the grocery store to buy a bulb of garlic, but in fact, I ended up spending the afternoon on the telephone. It makes me think how fortunate we are to have such good long distance plans. We really do live like royalty in these days. Soft beds, warm homes, stoves...do people realize that we have luxuries that kings and queens of yesteryear couldn't even dream of having? Sometimes, it is good to sit back and count your blessings, and not forget the basics, like jobs, washers, refrigerators and telephone plans!

Busy, Busy, Busy

But not too busy to eat!

Breakfast: Two egg omelet with mozzarella and mushrooms, skim milk
Lunch: Shared chips and chili at Wendy's with the man
Supper: two oranges
Snack: GF cheese pizza with 60 calories of pepperoni and sliced mushrooms added. Grand total of about 500 calories of nummy! I was on a mushroom kick today!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Yesterday's gone...

Breakfast: buckwheat pancakes and syrup, milk
Lunch: spinach pizza, Fresca
Supper: meatballs with cabbage (leftovers)
Snacks: Bounty Bar x 2, ketchup chips x2

My bad.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Slug Mode

Just letting everything slide these days...keeping up with dinner, duds and dishes is about all I have been doing. The damp weather makes me want to curl up under a warm fuzzy and sleep the day away!

Breakfast: two poached eggs, English muffin with cheeze whiz and milk
Lunch: Freybe smokie and 3/4 cup beans
Supper: porcupine meatballs with dill, garlic and cabbage
Snack: chip & dip. Yep. I am evil, but it was sooooooooo good! And didn't I earn activity points for all that laundry the other day? Not to mention the strenuous dusting? NO? Well, so what. I ate, I enjoyed!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Lazy Daisy

Again today! With the rain drizzling away, and time on our hands? Could you ask for anything more? We did the weekly housecleaning, and then took a waddle through SuperStore. It was so nice to take my time, read the labels, and not have to worry about time. All in all? We had a wonderful restful weekend. No pressure, no deadlines. Sigh. Back to the real world tomorrow, though! It boggles my mind to think that people do this all the time. This is the first time we have done this in absolutely years. Home but hiding, that is!

Today we had a leisurely breakfast of poached eggs, and a GF muffin. Since it was close to noon, and I was still a bit hungry, I had a GF banana muffin with my coffee. MMMMM good. On the list of things to do tomorrow, is baking. Banana pecan muffins are at the top of the list! I am also going to try some GF carrot muffins.

Lunch was simply skipped. My bad.

Supper was a cod fillet, with curried cream sauce, served with boiled potatoes, peas and carrots. I infused the cream with bay leaves, onion and garlic before adding what turned out to be, far too much curry. It was supposed to be subtle, but instead? It was currylishous! I do like the infused milk trick though...it will be good on creamed peas, for sure.

Snackage tonight, is popcorn. Hubby was unable to repair my fancy Cuisinart popper, so we are back to the cheapo air popper. Sigh. Luxury was mine for a total of four poppings. That worked out to 20 bucks a bowl, so a bargain it wasn't! Ah well. I did discover Jiffy Pop popcorn makes the fluffiest popcorn that I have seen, so all was not lost. Experience and knowledge gained. Popper, lost.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

What a treat this weekend has been...

we are home but hiding. Taking a mini vacation without leaving the homestead! We found four new hanging baskets this morning, for the new hooks on the fence. Looking pretty in our back yard! Absolutely leisurely weekend here. Is this what other people's lives are like? No rushing around, no one invited for dinner...you know, I could used to this!


Breakfast: English muffin, two poached eggs, glass of skim milk, coffee
Lunch: ?????
Supper: Cottage cheese, strawberries, GF breadstick or three...
Snack: Last episode of Lost tonight...so POPCORN is on the menu!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

MMMMM Foooooood......

Breakfast: omelet with mozzarella cheese, diced red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, onion and sliced pepperoni, skim milk Gotta love that "Nicer Dicer".

Lunch: Greek Salad (onion, red & yellow peppers, baby cucumbers, black olives and feta cheese served over romaine)

Supper: corn pasta (2 oz) spaghetti sauce made with ground beef, three gf bread sticks (more like overgrown pretzels than a nice chubby bread stick, but hey! It is a crunch to munch!)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Oyveyvataday

Woke up this morning and hit the ground running...the kitchen was a disaster...hubby hadn't bothered to clean up when he came home (blame Grey's Anatomy season finale) and didn't bother to tell me, so there was a bit of a hissy fit in the kitchen before breakfast!

All was pleasant once we chowed down on our cheesy mushroom, onion and yellow pepper omelets served with tomatoes. A quick shower and fluff (bless that new hairdresser)then out to shop at Costco for the necessities of life and yet another planter, followed by a futile stop at Rona . Lunch was half of a Wendy's Chili and chips (if you ever shared with your hubby, you know how big your half isn't!) then back to shopping for plant pots and sundry items at Wally world and Safeway. I totally enjoyed the chauffeur service today...with an impending storm, my head was threatening to just blow off my neck at any moment.

To keep things simple and easy? Supper was a hamburger patty, dressed as if it had a bun, but eaten with a knife and fork....with small spoonful of potato salad. While chowing down on the burger, I had to reflect on how easy it is now, to eat gluten free. I actually prefer hamburgers without the bun. At first? I didn't think it was possible, but with a few adjustments, mainly in attitudes, it has been such a worthwhile journey, albeit not easy at times. It is amazing how much better I have felt this year, all due to the dietary changes. Life is good.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Thursday

Breakfast: cubed potatoes, two slices of bacon, two eggs, a glass of skim milk
Lunch: GF cheese pizza, Fresca
Supper: 3 oz of chicken breast, potato/spinach puree, orange ginger glazed baby carrots

MMMMMM good! This morning I woke up bright and early, and spend an unprecedented half hour fixing breakfast. Boy, was it GOOD! Once in awhile a treat is a treat, right? I had a hair cut at eleven...still not sure if I like it but the husband is crazy about it. Short hair and I have a love hate relationship. This seems to be a godo cut, but you can't really tell because the guy put so much styling mud into it, that I am awfully sticky! I will have to wash my hair before bed, just to get the crud out of it! Anyway, the front is nice and short, and out of my eyes. That is the main criteria for summer hair - get out of my face!

So, that left the rest of the afternoon to visit, and that I did. It looks like the long weekend will be a little lonely - we seem to be the only ones in town! Maybe we will take a jaunt south of the border...hmmmm...just what we need. More travel!

Since I have a splitting headache, it is early to bed for me!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Wednesday

A busy day today. I am pleased to say, that the recent drop in poundage is staying constant...just watch the scales go up tomorrow though! LOL Today I had a luncheon at the Manitoba club to attend. They were very nice, and gave me a chicken breast and salad greens to replace the soup and sandwiches enjoyed by the rest of the guests. I really thought that was nice of them, although I would have gladly traded my healthy gluten free choice for egg salad sandwiches in a heartbeat! Sigh. My companions were pleasant and the speaker informative. What more do you want from a free lunch? The Manitoba Club is quite nice, and I was certainly impressed with the fact that they brought me a special plate without making a huge deal about it! And a bonus! The coffee was excellent.

Breakfast: GF English muffin, two poached eggs, a glass of skim milk
Lunch: chicken breast, salad greens (no dressing) a few fruit chunks
Supper: split a chili and chips with hubby at Wendy's. I was not in the mood to cook today!

Snack: McDonald's strawberry milkshake....a calorie bomb in a small cup, I am sure!

AAAAAK That little strawberry shake set me back 540 calories! 540??? AND 13 gms of fat. Oh well. Won't do that again!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Tuesday

This morning, my two egg omelet was a thing of beauty. And it tasted good, too! I used Mrs. Dash as the seasoning, and plain mozzarella cheese. The only thing I did differently, was to use the fine grater for the cheese...it makes soft little curls of the cheese that are quick to melt. I combined lunch and breakfast again, since it was so late. I added two GF banana muffins with butter, and two glasses of skim milk. Now that ought to keep me going for awhile!

It is going to be another hot day, by the looks of it, so I am planning a rather light supper. Probably Greek or Caesar Salad with a grilled meat of sorts. I wonder if there is any chicken lurking in the freezer? A nice chicken breast would be just the right touch to the plate, with bananas and cream for dessert. I can not believe I am writing this, let alone eating this! I never, ever liked cream before, but now? I love it. And the side effect of losing weight is astounding. It seems the more I eat, the more I lose, which really still makes no sense to me. Ah well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! LOL Love this loose menu planning, too!

We all know where the road paved with good intentions leads to, don't we? Tonight, it led me right to the freezer, where I found a GF spinach and feta pizza just waiting for me! We ate on the deck, just the two of us, and it was so peaceful and nice. After supper, hubby watered the baby plants, and headed out to get movies, strawberries and yes, more frozen pizzas! We kinda motored through them this time! But really, for 430 calories, it makes a great supper. Of course, a cup of tea with a cinnamon sugar donut for dessert rounded my meal out very nicely!

What happened to Monday?

Well, here it is:

Breakfast: toasted tea cake & butter, with two poached eggs
supper: guacamole with taco chips, baby carrots (REAL babies, not the pared down ones!)roast beef, au jus, mashed potatoes, coffee
snack: chocolate covered raisins

MMMM good! And the bonus? I woke up Tuesday morning a little bit lighter! (.8 lbs, to be exact!) Go figure.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Sunday Brunch

Our breakfast turned into a brunch this morning...we were running late, so I fussed! We also made another 'flower run' to Costco. We bought three planters and two hanging baskets for the back yard. So much easier than buying the plants. It was lovely to be able to wear one of my nice new outfits!

Brunch:
Cubed potatoes, peppers, celery, mushrooms and tomatoes - oven roasted with a little oil, served with two poached eggs, skim milk.

Supper: 3 oz beefsteak, tossed mixed vegetable salad with poppy seed dressing , gin & Fresca, strawberries & whipped cream 'Koo-Toos' GF cookies

Snack: Popcorn with butter while watching TV

Yep. It was a good day. I am definitely on a mission to use what I have in the freezer. Tomorrow's dinner will be roast beef, fancy carrots from Costco and mashed potatoes with gravy. I am committed to the roast as it is thawing right now, no matter how warm it gets outside! As for breakfast and lunch? It is a mystery!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Little touches....and guacamole


These are the new blue pillows I found in Regina. They are nicely made, with a tied on washable cover. Very beachy, don't you think? Finally, I found something to tie in the blue ceiling, which may or may not have been a mistake!

So far this today, I have managed to organize - read, discard most of the things in -hubby's bathroom and his shaving kit. I doubt that he will miss a thing. Ah, the joys of keeping house! He is working so hard out there in the yard today, I wanted to focus on his spaces today, to show a bit of appreciation...not a lot, just enough to keep him going! LOL Now he is off to fix the corn popper...it is movie night tonight! While we were in Regina, we went to the theatre and saw "Date Night" or some such title. With Tina Fey. What a funny lady she is. Corny slapstick comedy at its finest. Hopefully, there will be something in the video store for tonight's entertainment!

Here it is, almost ***supper time, and I am just getting a bit of an inkling as to the need for food. Time to go through the freezer and see what is there...I know I have a bit of trout, so maybe it would be a good night to try drizzling a bit of the aquava syrup over the top and baking it in the oven with a few spices. Hmmm .... add a little horiatiki salad made with all the goodies I bought yesterday and a bit of basmati rice and pouf! A 'United Nations' supper! We live in such a wonderful time. The best of every country's cuisine is easily available to us. I remember in my childhood, not even knowing what some of these vegetables were. If they were available? I am sure they would have been terribly pricey. We depended on the basics...potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, carrots, corn, beans, radishes, cabbage, onions and chives, rutabagas, beets and onions. My parents were oddballs, so we had a lot of kale in our garden too. We lived in the city, but our back yard was home to a large garden. It produced enough to provide vegetables for our family of five for the year. The best meal came when it was time to thin out the vegetables. My mother would toss all the babies into the frying pan, and lightly saute them in a bit of butter. Little baby potatoes, boiled in their skins? Perfection!

So much for a trip down memory lane! I think a medley of Costco produce ought to fill the bill!

***as it turned out, my good intentions were foiled by reality. I just didn't feel like cooking on such a nice day! So, I made guacamole instead. Half of this recipe and some taco chips made a delish summer supper. Gotta love the MUFA's in this one!

One ripe avocado
two key limes (juicy little beggars)
clove of garlic, finely chopped
one tomato, diced
two tablespoons of Feta cheese
good hefty shot of hot sauce
salt & pepper
Mexican seasoning...I have no idea what is in this stuff as the label is written in Spanish, so I am guessing this red powdered stuff is chili of some sort? Nice flavour, bit of heat.

I used a fork to mash it all together before stirring in the tomato and crumbled feta, but a molcajete sure would have come in handy! I prefer the 'restaurant' rounds taco chips, because you can count out a serving size without deluding or shortchanging yourself. This made a great supper. Lovin' the after burn, too!

First order of the day...

was breakfast. At eleven thirty, but breakfast none the less.

I made a big mushroom omelet with Swiss and Havarti cheese, and simple seasoning of Mrs. Dash (yellow bottle). Served with a fresh tomato? Could you want for anything more? Of course, I also had my breakfast glass of skim milk. Hubby has yard work today, so I thought I would spend my time catching up in the house.

It was nice to come home to a clear desk, but after opening all of the mail, I am swamped again. What ever happened to the concept of a paperless society? I do have a good method though. Bill comes, bill gets paid, bill gets filed. Things on the left of the computer are due, things on the right are ready to file. Simple. Effective, but doesn't look so great!

It is a puzzle to me where things go in this house. I have completely lost my extra mouse for my netbook and laptop. I know I put it in a bag...but where did that little bag go? No idea. I thought it was in the stuff bound for Thompson, but nope. So I didn't have the use of a mouse the entire time we were gone. Using that touchpad drives me crazy, so that explains why the lack of posting!

As for the food intake results? I am very happy to report that I didn't gain while I was away this time. When I weighed in this morning, I was right at my lowest weight, so I was pleased with that. Would have been nice if I could have lost a pound or three, but I usually do take a week or so to hit my lowest after being away, so hope springs eternal.

Yesterday, I wore my Capri/shorts for the first time, as Capri's. I think once they are broken in, they will be good. Very nice material, but I am not used to having my clothing fit me...float around me? Yes. Fit? No! LOL Once I get used to it, I think there will be a lot of tossage next closet cleaning day. For now? I am relatively organized and happy with things as they are.

There is tons of laundry to do, and lots of housework today, so better get going! There are miles to go before I sleep.....

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Ten Day Update

Ten days since my last post? Where has the time gone? My pants are a little tighter, so I can assure you that a fair amount of time has been spent with my feet under a table!

When we were visiting in Thompson, my dear daughter-in-law spoiled us with wonderful dinners. Now that pasta doesn't make me sick, I crave her spaghetti and lasagna...she indulged me with both! My son, the meat master, made delicious shrimp one night with a spicy sauce that knocked our socks off. Can't remember the other meals, but these dinners stood out as "fabulous". When you get old, one of the perks is to let the young look after you, and isn't it nice when they do? The boy was so generous, he even gave me a bug he was nursing, so I missed an entire day of baby time. And how is the baby? You mean besides brilliant, high spirited and wonderful? Okay, I guess! She is the most amazing little creature. I didn't have much time with my own baby at this stage, so it really is a blessing to be with her doing the most mundane things. My main goal in life is to have her realize that I am her biggest fan....she may have gotten the hint of the future of indulgence that awaits her from the bag of Hershey kisses I was pleased to pop into her little beak on demand. Idid learn however, that it might not be a good idea to stuff a child with chocolate the first time they discover it.Best to ease theminto it. I think the caffeine has a jarring effect on their nerves after the fifth "kiss"!

I have nothing to report in the line of shopping...haven't hit the stores in awhile, on or off line. Other than a few little accessories from QVC (sunglasses and a purse organizer and a t-shirt dress - if they are keepers, I will ahow you)and a single Trollbead. Just one. Really.

Last night we went to the movie "DATE NIGHT". I have never laughed out loud in a movie so much in my life. I'm known for shushing people so I won't miss anything, but this movie had me in stitches. Don't miss it!


Yesterday's food: Breakfast was two gf waffles, two eggs, orange juice. Lunch was Antipasto with gf crackers. Supper was fruit, veggies & dip. Snackage was a gf orange cranberry muffin AND an oatmeal cookie with my hot chocolate at a coffee place. Now, that was an unprecedented treat. Usually I get to observe the chowing of goodies at Tim's, narrated by reluctant snackers. If you are ever eating an eclair or other decadent confection, and are approached by a statuesque woman wanting you to talk dirty to her at a coffee shop? It is just me wanting to live vicariously through your taste buds. Back to food on May 11. We had Cheezies while watching tv last night too. Half a bag, half a movie, and I was out like a light!

Today? Breakfast: Two gluten free waffles, 1 tsp of butter, 1 T of syrup, two eggs, Orange juice. Lunch will be beans, fruit and milk. Supper will be spread between nibbles at a "do" and Chinese food at our favourite place. I think tonight, though, judging by the tightness of my pants? I will have a bowl of Tom Sum soup and call it done. Time will tell, and so will I, at the end of the day!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Excitement!

There is nothing that stirs my heart like a good organizational product. My toiletries have lived in travel bags for far too long. I used to have a power tool caddy that was wonderful for hair stuff but when I went to an open sink? It looked a little odd to have this industrial "guy" thing in my "spa" bathroom. I used to tuck it into a cupboard when not in use, but without that cupboard, I was left with bits and pieces strewn about the bathroom, not the look I was going for at all!

SO. Today, I went to Michael's, and for 40% off, purchased scrap booking supply organizers. I don't "scrap" but having a bathroom with literally NO storage space other than two glass shelves was pretty close to all the tools needed for a hobby. What was sorely needed was a container for my hair products and appliances,as well as my makeup. These are bright pink (to coordinate with my Pink Ribbon scale) with a polka dot lining, tons of little pockets and even velcro and zip pockets on the sides. Handles? OF COURSE! Cute, cute, cute, and sooooooo functional! Be still my heart! Then I got the bright idea to put one in my purse (lime green to match my cell phone) to hold everything in place. Voila. Another problem solved! And a third to do what it was originally designed to do...hold scissors, etc. in my office. Yes. I have an addiction, and it feels sooooooooo good!










Breakfast: two poached eggs, skim milk, English muffin (GF) butter, and cheese whiz

Lupper: GF spinach and feta personal pizza with extra Havarti, chili flakes, Parmesan and a Fresca!