A Few of My (new) Favorite Things

Sure, I love raindrops on roses, brown paper packages tied up with string, and snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes, but, Stop-the-Presses!, I have a few new things to add to the list.  

This photo of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park 
is courtesy of TripAdvisor


 

First let me tell you about my green crocs.  Why yes, they do look rather like frog feet.  I first discovered how great they were when we took a trip to Glacier National Park.  We had a picnic by Lake McDonald. It  is fed by snowmelt (can we say c-o-l-d??) and, as you can see the lakebed is stone.  We were with Laura's family and, between the 8 of us, we had one pair of adult sized crocs.  That one pair got used by every single member of the party to wade out into the lake and play.  That same day, we found a dollar store in town and bought knock-off crocs for everybody.  Now we always throw them in the trunk when we travel by car, just in case. 

Last Friday I went shopping with my BFF.  We were going to a fairly upscale mall, so I didn't want to wear my white running shoes with good black slacks, so I decided to wear my new black leather sport shoes that I'd bought for just such a time.  We had a great time and I racked up lots of steps on my pedometer.  A couple of hours into the morning, I noticed that my heels were sore.  We stopped for lunch and then shopped for a couple more hours.  I definitely noticed the pain by the time we walked to the car.  By the time I got home I could barely walk.  Of course I found each heel had a huge blister that had rubbed raw through the skin.  I have lived in my green crocs since Friday, except for Sunday morning, when I wore ridiculously out-of-season black heelless sandals to church.  I even went for my walks with crocs.  They're amazingly comfortable.  The only annoyance is small gravel bits that sneak in through the holes and require a stop to shake them out.   

Green Tea.  I've never liked it.  The 17DD, however, does like it (it's apparently loaded with antioxidants) and calls for two or three cups a day.  I bought several types of green tea with added flavors to try.  Lipton's Mandarin Orange flavor was fairly good, but then I tried Lemon Ginger Green Tea (Stash).  OMG, this is a dynamo flavor combination.  I use one packet of truvia with it and it makes a wonderful cuppa.  I bought mine at Safeway, but I've seen the Stash brand at other stores, too.

And one other discovery from following the 17DD.  An egg white scramble makes a super-quick delicious breakfast.  Really, it's almost as fast as cereal. I bought a case of Costco's Real Egg (99% egg whites, but the traditional yellow color).  When I ran out I picked up a carton of All Whites (100% egg whites).  I like both, but the All Whites, with a strange almost water-like consistency cook up magically into something that reminds me a lot of the best part of a fried egg (the white part!).

I know you may have other things to do today, so I'll wrap this up with a progress report on my time on the 17DD and my weekly mileage.

I finished the first cycle (17 days) of the 17DD on Sunday.  My total weight loss for that time was 10.4 pounds.  While I've started the second 17 day cycle, I'm not sure that this is something I plan to do for life.  I love the jump start to my weight loss and have gained some insights during the process:  yes, I can be disciplined, at least for a short time; I don't have to have sugary "treats" every day; portion size counts; drinking all that water (and tea) is do-able and helpful.  I've discovered some great new recipes along the way.  I actually like the yogurt (never a yogurt fan). I missed the whole grains. A lot.  The yogurt may "help the digestive process," but my body needs more fiber than the first cycle provided. I'll see if this second cycle works better with my digestion.  Stay tuned.

The mileage for last week was right on track until I  developed those blisters on my heels.  Still, I totalled 22 miles for the week, bringing my YTD to a nice, even 150 miles!

For your viewing pleasure: My father, at about 5 or 6 years old (c 1922) with his sling-shot.  He was apparently pretty skilled. In his later years, my mother had to work hard to persuade him to use humane traps to catch the marauding squirrels in his vegetable garden rather than his trusty sling-shot.

Checking In plus 17 Day Diet Update and Recipe Ideas

I've been enjoying getting out to walk.  How did I let this "me-time" fall by the wayside?  I'm experimenting with a bit of running interspersed and might try out the C25K (again).  I'm still wearing my pedometer.  Last week I averaged 6K a day for a total of 22 miles.  YTD mileage 128.  Next week my goal is to avg 7.5K per day and work up within a few weeks to 10K.

Today is day 11 on the 17 Day Diet  (check here to see a description and review of the plan).  It's working for me.  After the first couple of days, I found my cravings for sugar and salty/crispy things diminished to negligible levels.  This is good!  I also think the variety of foods is okay (even on the first, most restricted, cycle).  I feel in control of my eating again and that's a super feeling.  Even when I spent four days in the hospital last week with my son, I was able to stick pretty much to my planned eating.  I'm getting my exercise back on track (aiming for 10K steps a day and my 2-3 circuit trips a week).  And, best of all, I'm losing weight.  After 10 full days on the program, I've lost 8.4 pounds.  :-)

I'm not bored with the food choices yet.  A friend asked what I found to eat for dinner.  I think she was imagining boiled chicken and celery sticks at every meal. Here are some meals that we've enjoyed over the last 11 days.

Soy Lemon Chicken (8 chicken thighs (bone in, skin removed); Marinade: 1/4 c each ls soy sauce and lemon juice,  seasoned w/  dash of garlic powder &  1/2 tsp powdered ginger and 2 thinly sliced lemons)  Bake 50 min in 350 oven or until done.  Turn pieces over, half way thru cooking.

Steamed Asparagus

Flash Cooked Collards w/ Lemon Juice  (I have good nonstick pans and half the olive oil worked just fine)

Slow Roasted Plum Tomatoes    These are yummy.  Make a lot. Again, I used about half the olive oil.

Stuffed Green Peppers  (I added some chopped fresh collard greens and mushrooms)  We had this for dinner tonight--YUM!

Baked Salmon w/ Apricot Mustard Glaze  (A Cooking Light recipe: substitute water for the 1/4 cup apricot nectar & Truvia for the honey)

Artichoke w/ olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette dipping sauce

Roasted Chicken Breast (Ina Garten recipe)--This is the BEST recipe for roasted chicken, it's very easy and makes it moist and delHicious and ready for using later if you need it in another recipe.  Remove the skin afterwards.

Roasted Broccoli (high heat, olive oil, S&P)

Stir fried pepper strips (green, red, & yellow peppers strips stir fried in canola oil)

Chicken Vegetable Soup (broth, carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, chicken, cabbage)

Green Salad (cherry tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, cucumber, olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette)

Pan Seared Talapia (in olive oil,  w S&P, paprika) with lemon

Asian Slaw (cabbage, shredded carrots,  2 tsp canola oil,  1 T ls soy sauce,  3 T rice vinegar,  1 1/2 tsp truvia)

Chicken Stir Fry (chicken breast, canola oil, red peppers, yellow peppers, snow peas, celery, shitaki mushrooms, scallions, ls soy sauce, S&P)

For your viewing pleasure:  Grandson Jack (2 1/2) putting the finishing touches on his egg-carton caterpillar.  We had craft time after their naps this afternoon.  It's so fun to have them and to watch them learn and grow.

Thanks for your supportive comments last week.  Son Jay is sounding much better (cough-wise) and goes for his follow up appointment on Wednesday before he can go back to work.  He's getting bored being home, I think!  DH is fighting his own bout of congestion and cough plus flu-like symptoms.  Much chicken soup and tea.  I'm big into hand-washing just now and keeping my sickies away from the kiddos.

I'll miss my WI once again (3rd week in a row) because Jay's appointment falls smack dab during the meeting.  Maybe I can get to an earlier meeting . . . I'd like to go.  I do think that the 17DD fits well with the WW Simply Filling (Core) program.  I've tracked a couple days and am eating right at my daily target points.

Onward and downward!
Tish

Good News

1. I figured out how to insert one of my own photos via iPad.
2. Jay loved meeting the two therapy dogs who visited his room in the hospital.
And 3. We're HOME, and Dorothy got it right. There's no place like home.

Tish

No News is

[apologies in advance for typos, lack of links, and other format oddities]

Good News, at least on the fitness and diet front. I'm a bit late checcking in this week, but my report on my exercise and eating is glowing! I finally remembered how much I enjoyed my long runs on my favorite running path and racked up 4 three plus mile outings. I even ran a bit on a couple of them. My pedometer is happy to report 19 miles worth of steps for last week. Too cold for biking miles, so my yearly total as of last Sunday is 106.

I missed my WW meeting last week and today, but am doing very well and expect a very happy loss next week. After reading about Sharon's (Gains and Losses) and Tami's (Nutmeg Notebook) experiences with The 17 Day Diet, I decided to look into it. I think it tracks along very well with the WW Simply Filling plan (formerly called CORE and my plan of choice). I decided to follow it to see if I could jump start my weightloss efforts. What appealed most to me was the idea that a fairly short term of omitting all sugar and grains would erase a craving for those foods. I'm just finishing day 5 and can report that so far, it's been remarkably easy. Amazing. I totted up the points plus for one day and am just about exactly at my WW target. I'm getting fruits, veggies, lean meats, healthy oils, and dairy every day.

My reason for not posting earlier, for trying to create a post on my iPad, and for missing my WI today? That's the bad news. Our son Jay is in the hospital ICU with pneumonia, and maybe influenza. He may be 30 (!!), but he's my youngest and he wants me here, with him. This will be my second night sleeping in a chair near his bed. After a rough night last night, he's perked up a lot today. Here's a picture of him in his Darth Vader mask, waving to you with his bionic finger. We're in the brand new, state of the art military hospital near our home. He has a private suite and more high tech gadgets than you could imagine. He enjoyed a Percussive Vibration treatment this evening. The nurse pushed a button and his bed vibrated percussively(?) to break up some of the congestion in his lungs. It brought to mind the coin operated massage available in cheesy motels of the 60s and 70s. One of the best parts of the day, besides Jay starting to feel better, is when my BFF, Marilyn came to visit. She not only brought a mylar balloon for Jay, but she brought food--the kind I can have. Yogurt, oranges and hard boiled eggs. A veritable feast! Friends are a true blessing. We're hoping that he might be out on Friday. Well phooey! Can't add the photo either. Sorry. At least I can stay up late reading books on the Kindle App . . . .

Please keep Jay in your prayers. Back to our regularly scheduled program next week.

Tish

UPDATE: Jay's numbers look very good this morning and he may be graduating to the regular ward today! 😃

Just Peachy

My grandfather, Jay Lattin, with my two
oldest, Johnny and Laura in the late '70s

My grandfather (born in 1890) used to use "peach" as high praise.  If you found the tool he'd been searching for or if you surprised him with a goodie from the kitchen, he'd likely say "you're a peach!" It always made me feel wonderful when he said that. I knew it meant that I was special, that I'd  met or surpassed his high expectations, and that he loved me. I thought that "peach" was especially apt for me, because I was born in Georgia!

So I've always felt good about peaches. It doesn't hurt that they are one of the best fruits on the planet. Why, you might ask, am I talking about peaches in January??  Because. Way back in August, when I was elbow deep in mouth-watering, juicy, wonderful peaches from our farmers' market, I started freezing some of them.  I used a very simple method that I found online and froze about six quart-size freezer bags of sliced peaches.

Add caption

One of the serendipities from my great freezer clean out is that I ran across those bags of peaches. This morning I decided it was time to have peaches on my cereal. The peaches had stayed wonderfully peachy looking during their stay in the freezer (no discoloration) and I was able to separate a few slices without having to defrost the entire packet. They were wonderful! Peachy Keen! And they made my (un)frosted mini wheats a lot more interesting. I'll definitely freeze more peaches next peach season and I'll definitely enjoy peaches on my cereal many more times until peach season comes round again.

The kiddos don't arrive for a couple more hours today, so I'm going to take advantage of the nice weather and go for a walk along the river. I haven't done that for a while and I've missed it. I may see if I can run a bit. Maybe so. The dizziness, awkward gait, and weakness that I've felt since my surgery 10 months ago are almost gone. Anyway, I'm going to go enjoy the day and rack up some serious steps on my pedometer.

Mileage for last week:  17 miles walking, 12 miles biking; 29 miles for a YTD total of 87 miles. Upping my daily goal on the pedometer again this week!  Oh, and I lost 1.4 at my WI last week.  AND, I finally got my Nike+ to work (by upgrading my Mac to Snow Leopard and Lion) and my little Nike+ avatar at the top of the right sidebar is moving again.

Hope your day is peachy keen!

Yikes! I'm it.

I'm "it!"  Lori  and Dr. Fat to Fit have both tagged me in the latest round of blog tag.  I'm usually such a stickler for following the rules, but this time, I'm going to play fast and loose with the rules, choosing to comply with only the most interesting of the rules. Therefore I give you 11 random things about myself and answer 11 questions from the gals who tagged me.  I fail at the tagging rule, I honestly think there aren't 11 bloggers I know who haven't been tagged yet!


apologies in advance for the formatting discrepancies--cut and paste always does this to me 

II. You must post 11 random things yourself. 

1.  I usually have at least four books that I'm reading at any given time.  One on the car CD player (right now, March by Gwendolyn Brooks about the father in Alcott's Little Women--fantastic book); One on my iPod that I listen to while I'm at the gym or outside walking (right now, The Four Queens, non-fiction about four sisters who swayed the balance of power in the 13th C); one on my Kindle (or Kindle App) (right now, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, the first in his Saxon Chronicles about the Dane's attempt to conquer Wessex in the 9th C); and a real, hardcover book (I just finished Elizabeth Chadwick's A Time of Singing about the Earl of Norfolk in the late 1100's--great book, this was a re-read).  which leads me to . . .

2.  I love historic fiction.  I like it : without added fantasy, to stick as closely as possible to the known facts, to include actual historic figures, set in England or Wales in the dark or middle ages, set in Rome, set in Japan, set in the US . . .

3. My best relaxation at the end of the day:  a hot bubble bath in the jacuzzi, with a good book.

4. I have a double major in music (voice) and anthropology from Stanford, a MLIS from Catholic U, a MEd from Old Dominion, and 2/3 of a JD from the University of  Washington.

5. My picture was on the front page of the Seattle Post Intelligencer in the late 1970s because I was one of the women in the new class at the UW law school.

6. My mother's father's mother's brother's wife, Grace Bedell, was the little girl who wrote to Abraham Lincoln to suggest that he'd be more handsome (and electable) if he'd grow a beard.  I've seen the actual letter he wrote back to her.

7. Ten years ago, when we were living in Rome, I was fairly fluent in Italian.  I think I could still bring it up to par if I were to read a couple books in Italian, but I don't get much opportunity to speak Italian in my everyday life.

8. I don't think of myself as a picky eater, but maybe that's because I do the meal planning in our house and don't run across non-favorites often.  My daughter once noticed that I apparently don't like any fruits starting with "B." (blueberries, bananas, blackberries, boysenberries . . .) I do like Braeburn apples, though . . . .

9. DH does the dishes at our house, every night.  He was also ahead of the learning curve in pitching in with the diapering tasks and child care back in the mid 70s.

10. My father scored the first ever goal in an Army-Navy soccer game.  He was class of  1939 at West Point.

11. I love babies.  A glimpse of a baby will always make me smile!  

III. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.  (half from Lori, half from Dr. F2F)

What is your fondest childhood memory?  

   Waking up Christmas morning to a bride doll.  It was a complete surprise (hard, because I often peeked!) and something I had begged for and been told no.

What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Was it good?

   War Horse.  It was pretty good.  The story is almost a scene-by-scene remake of Black Beauty, only set in WWI.  What I liked best were the war scenes in France.  My grandfather, (mother's father) was in the cavalry there and was wounded.  

What is your favorite on plan meal?

   Soy Lemon Chicken, brown rice cooked in chicken broth, and roasted broccoli, with a WW Giant Latte Bar for dessert. 
 What is one of your most vivid memories from grade school?
   Being punished (sent out to stand in the hall) in first grade because someone asked me how to spell a word and I told them.  The teacher chose to punish me for cheating (and not the one who asked) and I felt it was very unfair.  I cried and was very embarrassed when my brother walked by.  Little did that other kid know that I got D's in spelling!

What is your favorite exercise?

   Hard one.  Either biking with DH or running (by myself).  

Where would you go if money and time were no consideration?  Why?

   Either New Zealand, Great Britain, or Italy.  New Zealand for something new.  It's supposed to be beautiful, like Wales.  Great Britain because it is a wonderful place to visit, they speak English (sort of!) and I can visit places I read about in my historical fiction (like Middleton Castle, near York).  And Italy because there are so many more wonderful places to explore, we have friends there, and they speak Italiano (and so do I, sort of!).  

What makes you laugh the most?

   Sharing something funny with DH, or Laura, or one of my siblings.  Once DH and I were walking and were about a mile from home when the skies suddenly opened up and it started pouring.  Very unexpected and sudden.  We were soon drenched and were laughing like loons as we jogged back towards home.  And once when we went at sunrise to a waterfall fed by hot springs in Italy.  Out in the country and there was noone else there.  It was amazing and (not funny) but we sat there, in our bathing suits with warm water cascading down over us and laughed and laughed.

What is your one pet peeve?  The one thing that drives you nuts.

   Bad public service.  Especially when I've waited for my turn and arrive to buy something and the cashier ignores me.  Answers a phone and deals with their question or issue completely before acknowledging me (ask them to wait, already,  that's what the hold button is for).  Carries on a personal conversation (not work related) without even making eye contact.  I have no patience for this at all.   I have been known to walk away, leaving my items un-bought on the counter.  They could calm me in an instant with a glance and a polite word, but being ignored in such a situation is definitely my pet peeve.  

What did you eat for supper last night?

   Hamburger soup (recipe in my recent post, Soup's On), toast, milk, and a WW giant latte bar for dessert.
Do you like summer or winter best? Why?

  Like the song, I like summer and I like winter.  Summer for its wonderful produce (strawberries, corn, peaches, tomatoes), its beautiful gardens (gardenias, zinnias, roses, impatiens . . .).  Winter for snowflakes, grandkids' rosy faces when they come inside from snowmen and sledding, snow-days, hot cocoa or tea, oranges, mayer lemons, avocados, fires in the fireplace, and birds at the winter bird feeder.

Are you allergic to anything?

   Poison Ivy.  I get a very bad case every few years.  I know what it looks like and carefully avoid it, but it finds me.  Prednisone is my friend, then.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.  

I logged  13 miles last week for a total of 58 so far this year.  1000 is easily doable once the weather warms up so I'm  able to ride my bike.  I'm also planning to up my daily goal on the pedometer this week.  


Hoping for a good WI day after tomorrow.  

Soup's On

It feels like winter here, today.  There's a possibility of snow flurries and the temperature is in the low 30s.  It's soup weather!  I love soup weather and soup.  I've made three soups recently that I'd like to share with you.

The other day I made Classic Chicken Soup with Noodles a WW recipe that's become a favorite in our house.  I add a cup of sliced mushrooms and some frozen corn (about 1 cup), but it's deelish either way.  I actually made two pots of soup because it's really just as easy to make two as it is to make one.  I took the other pot to son Johnny's house.

My mainstay, go-to soup, that has been a favorite since before we had children (38 years!) is hamburger soup.  I should really think up some other name for it, because it's hearty, healthy, delicious, and filling.  It's also very forgiving.  You can substitute just about anything.  My own changes depending upon what veggies I have on hand and what the season is.  What stays the same is its deliciousness!  The recipe will be at the end of this post.

The third soup I want to share today is a new one.  Coconut Curry Kale Soup.  I even love the name.  A hint of sweet, a hint of spice, and some good-for-you stuff.   I read about it on Debby's blog (Debby Weighs In) and she got it from Helen (Doing a 180).  I added about 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels and substituted 1 can of white beans for the chick peas.  Mine looks pinker than the picture Helen had, but it's great either way.   I made it a lunch time today and had some kale left over from the bunch I picked up at Whole Foods, so, during the last 10 minutes of cooking, I made kale chips to go with my soup.  (tear kale into chip size pieces.  spread it out on a silpad or pam-sprayed cookie sheet, bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  the kale will turn crispy but shd still retain some green.  sprinkle with salt to taste.  DH and I devoured an entire big bunch of kale before dinner one night, the first time I made this.)

Not too much happening in the garden over the winter except for the daphne.  It's one of the earliest bloomers and ours is covered with beautiful, dark-pink buds.  When they bloom, the flower has a heavenly sweet fragrance.

Daphne bud, mid January

The bush is covered with buds.

The buds bloom to white fragrant flowers (pic from last year).

One more comfort on a winter's day.  I think I'd mentioned that Laura gave me wool socks for Christmas.  I was able to find more at my local Costco.  They are toasty warm.  It's amazing how wool is so much warmer than cotton or synthetic fabrics.   Also, the 12 new, energy-efficient windows we put in are making a big difference in keeping our house warm.  We have two heating systems.  The upstairs rooms used to get quite cool in the winter, but since we installed the new windows, our thermostat doesn't trigger, because the temperature stays about 69 degrees. No more drafty windows.

And no more mishaps with the pedometer to report!  I'm trying to develop good habits about storing and using it.

I LOVE the new "reply" button in the comments section.  If you ask me a question in your comment, please check back.  I'll try to answer you.

Oh, I lost one pound at my WI on Wednesday.  That's two weeks in a row that I've lost.  I'm striving to be a trend-setter!

Be good, enjoy the season, and make some soup!

Hamburger Soup  (core)

1 pounds ground beef   (93% fat free)

2 cans diced tomatoes  (use fire roasted)

1 can tomato sauce

4 cans water

3 carrots–sliced

1 can frozen corn (or canned—rinsed drained)

1 cup frozen green beans  (or canned—rinsed drained) 

1 can rinsed black beans (optional, usually I omit)

celery–3 or four ribs chopped

onion–1 large chopped

barley about 1/4 cup

2 or 3 bouillon cubes, vegetable or chicken (I like the Knorr brand)

salt and pepper to taste

Makes about 10 generous servings.

I start this just after church for Sunday supper.  Brown the beef (and drain if beef is not lean) add onion, celery cans of tomatoes and sauce and about half of the water.  Simmer for a few hours, then add vegetables and barley.  Add more water as needed if soup boils down too much Simmer for 1-2 hours more.  Great first day and even better the next.  This is the “can” way from things you may have on your shelf.  You can substitute fresh or frozen vegetables for any of the canned.  I particularly like to add zucchini slices, fresh sliced mushrooms or fresh green beans–added about 1 ½ hours before serving.