Breakfast in Bed

Joe Bowler
Originally uploaded by ondiraiduveau

Well, not exactly...my handsome man is indeed making me breakfast but it'll likely be served at the dining room table instead of my budoir. *wink* I like to reserve that area for other activities.

While he's shredding potatoes for hashbrowns that I'm certainly not going to eat, I'm going to don my apron and whip up a batch of Kalyn's Egg Muffins. These are soooo good! I try to keep a batch of them on hand at all times, especially convenient on those busy workday mornings when I don't have time to cook.


EGG "MUFFINS"
(makes 12)

10-12 eggs
2 T fat free half and half
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
1 1/2- 2 cups diced meat: canadian bacon, ham, cooked turkey sausage or cooked veggie sausage
1 1/2- 2 cups grated low fat cheese (I like sharp cheddar or feta)
Optional, but highly recommended, 3 green onions diced small.

Preheat oven to 375. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size. If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray.

In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be 3/4 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Beat eggs well with the half and half (you could use milk). Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is full to the brim, nearly overflowing. Bake 25-30 minutes until muffins have risen above the rim of the muffin cups and are slightly browned and set.

These freezer well. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before microwaving. I like to wrap them in a paper towel when reheating in microwave to soak up some of the liquid that is sometimes released.

Have a Beauty-Full Day!

Falling into Place

Ooh, it's one of those rare chilly days here in South Florida! I have the windows flung wide open, a pot of chili simmering in the crockpot and am sipping a hot cup of Hazelnut coffee preparing for my day. It seems like everyone has more energy when the temps drop a bit, including the four-leggeds in my house! The dog is racing around the yard at record speed, kitties are leaping around the back patio greatly appreciating the cool breeze.

I hopped on the scale this morning and found that I'm back down to 163.8, right back where I started before Moontime. Sigh. I'm happy that the numbers have gone back down but really expected more of a loss at this point. Instead of moaning about it, though, I'm taking action!

Last night I sat down and planned the next week's menu, including possible lunches & snacks, headed to the grocery store and loaded my cart with healthy goodness. I now have a Positive Plan of Action and just know that I'm going to have a great week! The carb cravings have disappeared, my body is adjusting to the new Way of Eating, things are finally falling into place!

I'll be posting some more recipes over the weekend but in the meantime I'm going to finish this cuppa, put on my sneakers and burn some calories with a major houseblessing. Yeah, that's a nicer way of saying that I'm gonna kick some dustbunny butt around here!

Have a Beauty-Full Day!

Well, Blimey!

I'm feeling a bit down this morning, dear friends, having stepped on the scale this morning and not liking what I saw. Ok, last week I knew the extra couple of pounds were due to hormones & I accepted that, but why haven't they all fallen off yet? I'm at 164.4, still a pound up from my last weigh-in. I had really hoped that with all of my hard work and staying really OP I would've lost something.

I'm not giving up but that English muffin in the kitchen sure looks tempting....



No, not that one! But, hmmm...if I want Nigella's luscious curves perhaps I should whip up one of her dishes tonight? Something special to soothe my wounded spirit but still On Program..healthy yet comforting...Minestrone Soup seems like the perfect fix for this dreary day! All I've got to do is substitute Shirataki noodles for my portion, perfect! The morning is looking brighter already!

Nigella Lawson's Minestrone Soup

Serving Size : serves 4-6 as a main and 8-12 as a starter

INGREDIENTS

1 Onion finely chopped
1 clove of Garlic crushed/finely chopped
2 sticks Celery, finely sliced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 14oz tin chopped Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp dried Basil
1/4 tsp dried Rosemary
3oz Red Pepper, finely diced
3oz Green Pepper, finely diced
3oz Carrot, finely diced,
3oz Courgette, finely diced
1 1/2 pts Stock
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
1oz Spaghetti, snapped into 1cm lengths
1 tsp Salt
1 dessertspoon Soy Sauce
Black Pepper
Parsley to garnish

METHOD

1. Gently fry the onion, garlic and celery in the olive oil in a large pan for 10mins until soft.
2. Add the tomatoes, herbs, vegetables, stock and tomato puree.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for 40mins.
4. Add the spaghetti, salt, soy sauce and pepper and simmer, uncovered for 15mins.
5. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.
ADDITIONAL INFO

This soup keeps for several days in the fridge (if there's any left!), it also freezes and travels well. Children absolutely love it!!

Right on Target!

Waking up in a luxurious hotel room on the beach is sooo much nicer when you don't have any guilt feelings about what you did the night before, don't you agree? *wink*

You see, I'm tagging along with Beren on his monthly business meeting, includes lovely accommodations and and dinner on his expense account. Nice, huh? Well, since he is not an ad exec from the 1960's ala Mad Men (don't I wish!) we have to wine & dine within reason so the choices are limited. Outback. Chili's. Ale House. You get the drift. He leaves it up to me so I did my homework ahead of time. Despite my knowledge that Outback is not exactly low-cal and the menu is laden with temptation, I chose it anyway. They have 2-for-1 cocktails, what can I say?!

So, armed with my Sparkpeople food journal, already logged, I went down under and prayed for strength to resist the bloomin' onion and sweet bread. I'm pleased as punch to report that I was Perfectly On Program, darlings! Not a bite of badness passed my lips! I was quite content with my 2 glasses of vino, grilled salmon & steamed veggies & tons & tons of aqua. It was a lovely meal, especially rounded out by a before-bed snack at the hotel room - a handful of cocoa-dusted almonds took care of my sweet tooth and allowed me to drift into dreamland, guilt free.

I'm a happy girl this morning and though I don't have a scale here to confirm, I do think my tummy might be just a tiny bit flatter!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

On My Soapbox: Self-Less

Watch this video and then read this site..am so sick & tired of the "women's magazines" and how they continue to promote skinny-at-all-costs and the you're-just-not-good-enough mentality! Kelly is gorgeous as she is, no need for freakin' Photoshop! I know, this is an old issue but it still just burns me up! Along with several other bloggers out there, I'm banning Self magazine. I have better places to spend my hard-earned dollar.

Time for Me

As I've mentioned, I'm reading Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? by Peter Walsh and it's proven to be quite enlightening so far! In the first chapter, Peter writes about excuses for being fat and the first one really hit home with me! I'm going to share it with you here, would love to hear your thoughts:

Excuse #:1 "I don't have time to do whatever it is you're about to tell me to do."

Life is an ongoing balancing act of time and priorities. Our lives are full, and that's a good thing. But I want you to take a moment to think about the time you already spend dealing with your weight:

*Do you spend time feeling guilty about what you've eaten?

*Do you spend time in front of the mirror changing clothes because you don't feel good in anything you own?

*Do you spend time shopping for clothes because it's hard to find clothes that fit well and hide whatever it is you're trying to hide?

*Do you spend hours at the gym trying to burn off the extra dessert you allowed yourself last night?

*Have you tried so many diet books and programs that they're all al blur of protein bars and chemical milkshakes?

*At the rate you're going, will you spend time a the doctor's dealing with the medical conditions your weight will eventually cause?

Think about all the time that your weight consumes. Consider the mental anguish it causes. Imagine being free of that. Imagine being able to throw on anything in your closet knowing it can't look too bad because you're happy with your body and weight. Now tell me you don't have time to invest in feeding your body the healthy food it deserves.

Super Sunday!

Having a really good day so far, feeling motivated and On Program, thanks in part to a couple of new Spark buddies! The morning started out with a healthy breakfast - spinach omelet & sliced tomatoes, tried not to notice the leftover pizza My Man was devouring. We then took a long walk through the local park, feel so fortunate that this beautiful place is within walking distance of the house!



Munching on celery & Laughing Cow cheese, planning last night's leftovers for lunch because this soup was sooo tasty! Even my carnivorous boyfriend slurped down a big bowl of the veggie-laden goodness.



Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

1 15.5-ounce can cannellini or other
small white beans, preferably
low-sodium, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, diced
(about ½ cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
1 small zucchini (about ½ pound)
diced (about 1½ cups)
1 garlic clove, minced (about
1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
or ½ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups low-sodium chicken or
vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can no-salt added
diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups
lightly packed), chopped
1⁄3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a small bowl, mash half the beans. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach; cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Serves 6

Tonight I am promised a grilled steak, a rare indulgence but one I'm looking forward to. I will, of course, be foregoing the homemade french fries he's also making and will instead focus on a big salad and some roasted asparagus, yummy!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday, have a Beauty-full day!

Inner Beauty

Well, isn't this a lovely horoscope today?

November 8, 2009
Beauty Divine
Leo Daily Horoscope

You may feel beautiful from within today. You might find yourself feeling good about your best features and experiencing a feeling of warm acceptance for those you’ve wanted to change in the past, understanding that they all come together to create your natural beauty. Because of this mood, you may feel inclined to dress up so that your outer appearance matches your inner glow. Another great way to express your beauty to others is by allowing your true personality to shine through the exterior. Reaching out to share your warmth, compassion, love, and humor with others is a sure way to keep your inner light glowing and attract other like-minded people to connect with today.

Our true beauty comes from the uniqueness that lies at the core of us. We often get caught up searching for beauty in external features, when it is our spiritual essence that shines forth and makes us beautiful. By choosing to express the deepest parts of who we are in every experience, we give form to our uniqueness as a person, both spiritual and physical. We are a divine expression of light and love, which is far more beautiful than even our best physical features. As we glow with happiness and enthusiasm for life, we free ourselves to focus less on any perceived flaws, and more on living a meaningful life of joy and fulfillment. By sharing yourself honestly with others today, you will allow them to glimpse the true divine beauty that lies within you.

Visions of Sugar Cookies Dancin' on my Hips

I was doing pretty well yesterday, consoling the hormonal cravings with a few cocoa-dusted almonds and some roasted edamame, watching Mad Men for inspiration and distraction. Then Beren called, suggested we take a friend out for chicken wings after work. I can do that, no problem. I'll have naked wings and a vodka cocktail, all set! Sitting there at Hooters feeling all smug and On Program, imagining myself finally able to fit into those teeny tiny orange shorts they wear(hey, allow me the fantasy, ok?) I never thought I'd return home to find a plate full of sugar cookies, fresh-baked and calling to me. *groan* I confess: I caved. I scarfed down 2 of those babies right before bed, washed them down with a big gulp of Beren's beer. Ewwwww! I know, it doesn't sound good to me either but at the moment it hit the spot. Off I went to dreamland, sugar cookies dancing in my head and no doubt plastering themselves onto my hips as I slept.

So, here I am this morning, afraid to hop on the scale 'cause you know it's not gonna be good, honey. What to do? Nothing else I can do but just get back on track...again.

Do I sound frustrated? Disappointed? Ashamed? Yep, all of the above. What the heck is wrong with me? Where is my motivation, my willpower? If I can't resist a couple of slice & bake cookies I am doomed this holiday season! Help!

Mad About Joan

Since discovering Mad Men (admittedly a bit late), I have been devouring the DVD's and immersing myself in the 1960's. Oh, how I love the fashion...swoon...and honey, don't we all wanna be Joan Holloway?! I'll take her curves any day! *wink*

Just Beachy

I confess, I did indulge in a small slice of the bread last night..groan..it was delicious and almost worth the stuffed feeling I have this morning! Back on track today, though, and am thinking I need to get a bit more serious, might have to keep better track of my carbs and/or calories because the scale is not budging. *sigh*

I'm working my way through the Good Carb, Better Carb Cookbook, finding a lot of great recipes to try! Tonight it's going to be a modified version of this yummy lentil dish, will substitute meat for veggie-friendly options.

Savory Lentil Casserole

1-1/4 cups dried brown or green lentils, sorted, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces fresh Shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces Canadian bacon, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place lentils ina medium saucepan; cover with enough water to come 1 inch over lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 20 to 25 minutes untl lentils are barely tender; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 10 minutes or until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; stir well. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, Canadian bacon, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until mixture is thick and bubbly.

3. Grease 1-1/2-quart casserole. Stir lentils into mushroom mixture. Spread evenly in prepared casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes.

4. Sprinkle tomatoes over casserole just before serving.

Enjoy!

Day of the Dead

Today we are celebrating Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead. You can read more about it on my other blog, but here I'll share with you my mother's super-simple vegetable-beef soup "recipe." It's not 100% low carb but it's close enough if I avoid the starchy vegetables.



Sam's Vegetable-Beef Soup

Brown one pound of beef cubes with an onion in a little oil of your choice. Toss in a crockpot with a can of tomatoes, beef bouillon cube, bag of Birds Eye frozen vegetable soup mix, and a can of white potatoes. Cook all day. When you come in the door from work you'll be greeted with an amazing scent and a hearty, delicious dinner! Serve some bread alongside if you indulge in such.

Enjoy!

Hot Beans!

I am proud to report that, despite Moontime coinciding with Halloween (Mother Nature's cruel joke!) I did not give in to temptation and dive into the candy bowl! I left the Snickers (my favorite) to the trick-or-treaters and consoled myself with a handful of Emerald Cocoa Roast almonds instead. Whew..escaped disaster that time!

Today I'm seeking something easy & effortless, would prefer to curl up on the couch with Mad Men (Don Draper, swoon!) instead of slaving away in the kitchen so I'm going to pull out my crockpot and put it to good use. it's still so hot here in Florida, a/c is cranking, certainly doesn't seem like Autumn.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from a great little cookbook, Good Carb, Better Carb which is chock-full of tasty dishes!

Enjoy!

Hot Three-Bean Casserole

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) chick-peas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons sugar (I'm leaving this out)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) frozen cut green beans

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

2. Add remaining ingredients except green beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add green beans. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until green beans are just tender.

Makes 12 servings.

Happy Halloween

It's a quiet day for us here, honoring those who have passed, thinking especially of Mom, would do anything to have her here for one more holiday.

Samhain Blessings,

Wrap it Up!

Plugging along here, can't believe it's only Tuesday and I'm already exhausted and looking for the weekend! Since work is super-busy you'd think the days would fly by but no such luck. Diet-wise I am doing pretty well, might have to watch my portion control a bit as I find myself mindless eating at times but otherwise I'm doing pretty darn well on the Beach!

It's Pizza Night here at the Castle but of course I won't be partaking of that - no, no, no! Instead I will be wrapping my lips around these Salsa Chickpea Lettuce Wraps courtesy of Happy Herbivore. Ooh-la-la, don't these look fabulous? A perfect light meal after a long day at the office, can't wait to dive right in!

Salsa Chickpea Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
1-15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-12 ounce jar of salsa
10 lettuce leaves
2 bell peppers, finely chopped

Directions:
Combine chickpeas and salsa in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has absorbed and the chickpeas have taken on the salsa’s color (about 8 minutes). Refrigerate over night for best flavor but you can also serve them immediately. Spoon chickpeas into lettuce leaves and top with chopped bell pepper pieces.

Isn't it Moronic?

Beren & I watched the film I Could Never Be Your Woman and while the movie itself was ok, the real highlight was this song, so inspired that I have to share! Here are the lyrics I especially enjoyed, followed by a clip of the very talented Saoirse Ronan. I can only hope that she and her generation of young actresses actually feel this way.

a young girl, wants to be a big name,
in movies, they must all be the same,
she wont need to sing or to act,
just loose all of her body fat,
and isn't it moronic?
don't you think?

It's insane!
that they loose so much weight,
its a young nicole , with no food on her plate,
its a fat lindsey,barfing up a cake,
they think they're all cute, stick figures...



Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?

I'm picking up this book from the library today, have any of you read it? My friend Jersey said the author is a bit "over the top" but I'm willing to give him a chance if he's got some good advice for me.


I do know that I react very strongly to messes of any sort - emotional, physical, etc. I am more than a little OCD and become very anxious when my Life isn't as orderly as I prefer. My closet's color-coded, my bra & panties always match and I can't watch a movie unless the entire room is perfectly clean, that sort of thing. Add that to some control issues (yeah, I was in & out of therapy for years) and I'm a wreck, lol!

So, I'm wondering if my current success on the weight loss front is partially due to the part-time move to the Ormond house? I mean, we are living rather simply here with the mimimal amount of household furnishings, clothing, etc. There is absolutely no clutter which is quite different than my full-to-the-brim Castle! I think this allows me the freedom to focus on Me, what I want to do, how I can best care for my body & soul, unfettered by piles of laundry and household chores. If this is the case, I will be very very careful when we make the permanent relocation, only bringing the items I absolutely love and must have.

What do you think, dear readers, is there any merit to this philosophy?

If Mama Ain't Happy....

Beren and I are here at our "weekend/vacation house" where I am presented with different challenges than at home. First off, I am just building up my freezer/pantry so my recipe ingredients are limited. I also don't have the same cooking equipment I'm used to (no slowcooker, etc) and since we're only here on weekends I've got to be conscious of the spoilage-factor so I'm required to shop for fresh produce more often and watch my portion sizes, can't stand to throw away veggies! Lastly, Beren's girls are here and they are very picky eaters..groan...and my own children (not-so-picky but mostly vegetarian) are visiting as well so cooking a family meal is quite a feat! Add all of these issues to my new low-carb diet and you have a recipe for disaster, or at the very least a very frustrated mama!

Since I am determined not to compromise my weight loss for anybody else's convenience (call me selfish, I don't care), I'm making a shopping list and a menu plan which the Other People will just have to deal with. Now & then the Cook has to be accommodated, right? Harrumph.

I did a bit of searching and found this tasty, easy recipe for stuffed peppers which, if I substitute veggie crumbles for half the recipe, should appease the carnivores and vegetarians alike. Hope they like it, otherwise there's always PB&J. *wink*

MAKE ME STUFFED PEPPERS

2 large green peppers, halved lengthwise, 6 ounces each
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped, 1 1/4 ounces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomato, chopped, about 2 ounces
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (pre-shredded not recommended)
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

In a large pot, bring about half potful of water to boil. Add the peppers and boil for 3 minutes. Drain. In same pot, brown the hamburger, onion and garlic. Drain fat and stir in tomatoes and seasonings. Cook until tomatoes are hot; remove from heat and stir in the 4 ounces cheese. Put the pepper halves in a greased 8x8" baking pan and fill with meat mixture. Sprinkle the extra cheese on top, if using. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Per Serving: 388 Calories; 27g Fat; 30g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

Oh, Yes I Can-Can!

Forgive the silly play on words but I am dancing for joy this morning after sneaking a peek at the scale - 2 pounds down since Monday, my friends! I am so happy to see the numbers drop for a change, just the motivation I need to Keep on Going!

Also, allow me to gloat just a tiny bit, won't you? Last night we met friends at the aforementioned Mexican restaurant, cozied up to the bar where the barmaid promptly presented us with a huge basket of chips & salsa which I immediately passed to Beren, far away from my reach. Then we were offered a giant margarita, on special; again, I passed. I did enjoy 3 glasses of wine and ate a bite of Beren's spareribs but otherwise I was Perfect! Not one sip of margarita, not a tiny bite of chips! I woke up feeling proud of myself and anxious to step on the scale instead of remorseful and dreadful.

So, there you go, my little NSV for the day! Now, let's keep the scale moving in the right direction, shall we? I've already planned tonight's dinner and tossed it into the crockpot so it'll be ready & waiting for me after work, just a little bean soup that's not really a recipe, just went to my pantry and gathered up a few cans of beans, added some water, onion & spices to the slow cooker and voila! My family will be adding some brown rice to their bowls but I'm not quite ready for that yet.

Off to work, hope you all have a Beauty-full day!

Something Fishy Around Here!

So, I'm starting Day 3 of my modified-SBD-Way-of-Eating and I'm happy to report that it's going pretty well! The scale shows a tiny loss, not enough to gloat over but just enough to keep me motivated. I have a had a couple of challenges, one being yesterday's long overdue lunch date with a dear friend. We met at Applebee's which had the potential to go very badly but am pleased as punch that we both made good food choices (Grilled Shrimp & Spinach Salad) which surely canceled out the chardonnay we guzzled delicately sipped!

Tonight Beren & I are planning to meet some friends for cocktails, at a Mexican restaurant no less! *groan* No worries, though, I will not be tempted by the bowls of tortilla chips and frozen margaritas, no sirree! I'm going to cook a nice dinner ahead of time and then just sip a glass of wine or two while focusing on the company and the conversation, not the Cuervo! I'll be sure to report back tomorrow with my success story but in the meantime, here's what's on my dinner menu, courtesy of the always-fabulous Kalyn's Kitchen:

Baked white fish with Onions, Peppers, Olives, and Feta
(Makes 2-3 servings, recipe created by Kalyn.)

2 or 3 medium-sized Tilapia filets
(for best results, use fish that is uniformly thick)
1/2 T olive oil (or less, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup very finely diced red pepper
1/4 cup very finely diced red onion (or sweet white onion)
1/4 cup very finaly diced green olives
1/3 cup crumbled feta (or less if you're not wild about feta)
1-2 T mayo or lite mayo (do not use fat free)

Preheat oven to 425. Spray small glass or ceramic casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Heat olive oil in nonstick frying pan and saute red pepper and onion about 3 minutes. Add olives and saute about 2 minutes more. Turn off heat.

Put fish in casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Spread a small amount of mayo evenly over the surface of each piece of fish. Stir feta into red pepper/onion/olive mixture and spread that over the top of fish. (Pile it on so all the mixture is used. It doesn't matter if some falls off while it's cooking.)

Bake until fish is opaque and white throughout and topping is barely starting to brown, 10-15 minutes. The mayo and the topping will keep the fish moist. Serve hot.

Doesn't that sound wonderful?! Much better for me than those nasty ol' fried burritos, right? You betcha!

Have a Beauty-full Day,

End Fat Talk - Tri Delta's Fat Talk Free Week

Let's stop the negative self-talk and learn to love ourselves and each other - "fat," "skinny," and everything in between!

Beach-Bound, Baby!

I know, I haven't posted in forever, and I apologize. It's been crazy-busy and, frankly, I haven't been focusing on my eating, exercising or weight loss goals. No, I haven't given up or lost sight of my goal, but the pursuit of a shapelier body has taken a back burner to other things. No excuses, it just is what it is. However, even though I haven't been actively trying to lose weight, I am still maintaining and might have even lost an ounce or two, as evidenced by the once-tight jeans I'm now able to get into. I'm not sure if it's the weather, the atmosphere, the different feel of it up here or what, but ever since we've been spending weekends at the Ormond Beach house something has changed in me. I'm naturally moving more, snacking less, and since I have little else to do when I'm home alone, I'm doing some thinking. It's almost Samhain, after all, the Witches New Year, the time of deep reflection, of death and rebirth. I'm figuring out what I want overall in my life, where I want to be in the coming year, how my body size & shape fits into that picture and what I need to do to get it that way. I'm also remembering the last time I was really successful at weight loss, what it took to get to goal. It's been interesting, this self-reflection, and I think I'm ready to make some changes.

I have some more pondering to do and some of my plans require the assistance of others, but in the meantime I'm working on what I can control: Me. My diet. My exercise. My happiness. All of that depends upon me, doing what I need to do to make my personal dreams a reality.

So, with that in mind I've decided to return to the eating plan that really worked for me back in 2002/2003: low-carb, no white stuff, lots of veggies & lean protein and, oh yeah, a glass of wine or two at the end of the day. *smile* I took off 25 pounds on that Way of Eating and kept it off for about a year when I got lazy & sloppy and thought I could go back to bread, pasta, etc and still stay a size 6. Anyway, at the time I formulated that "diet" I hadn't read much about South Beach but now I understand that I was in fact following a modified version of that very plan. Unlike Atkins which is a bit too meaty for me, SB focuses on vegetables & healthier protein, even a vegetarian could do it. It just makes sense to me and I feel good when I'm limiting those empty-calorie "dry carbs" and gobbling up more green stuff. So, back I go to the Beach, again with my own twist, doing it My Way. I'm sorry, Weight Watchers, you really are an incredibly great system that works for many people but apparently not me. Perhaps there's too much freedom in the food choices and certainly too much discipline in counting Points, I just can't do it anymore. Apparently, I am one of those people who simply can't eat white stuff on a regular basis, no matter how few Points is in it, it just doesn't work for me.

I'm still working all of this out so bear with me as I adjust my thinking and eating, once I get a week or so under my belt I'll post stats but in the meantime, I'm Beach bound, Rapunzel-style! Feel free to join me!

Food + Adorable Pin-Ups...

image courtesy of Wendy Ding
...what more could you possibly want? I just discovered this fabulous blogger, am in love with her foodie pin-up art! Just looking doesn't add calories, right?

Off the Wagon

I fell off the wagon just a bit, dear readers, and have not quite climbed back on. No excuses, just wanted to check in with my blogger buddies and let you know that while the scale is not moving (at least, not in a good way), I am alive & (sort've) well and trudging along here.

My household is slowly calming down, everyone is settling in except for the population of dustbunnies who are being removed little by little, day by day. This new commune living we've got going here is working out very nicely so far, love having my kids all under one roof and around the dinner table! We are all sharing the cooking responsibility which is interesting and a big relief but also a bit challenging for my eating plan.

So, today is a new day, a fresh opportunity to make good choices! Make it a beauty-full one!

Emotional Roller Coaster

Sorry I've been missing in action, dear friends, I have just had a helluva busy week and little time to post! As I mentioned over at my other blog, my eldest daughter and her family have moved back in with us for a while and though it's wonderful to have them all around, it's also torn the castle upside down and has also created a roller coaster of emotions. It's not easy moving 2 adults and a menagerie of pets into an already-crowded space, we're all a bit edgy, a little overwhelmed, and as is my pattern I have turned to food to assuage the stress & anxiety. I haven't been tracking and have eaten more than my fair share of pizza take-out and other junk, but this morning I am regrouping and getting back on track. Things are calming down, the kids are almost settled in, and I'm feeling so fortunate that we have each other, and a big enough house where we can all live together, so many others affected by the recession don't have this option!

Hope all is well with you, will be posting regularly again very soon.

Have a Beauty-Full Day!