Sunny Salad Americana

American salad mix**

fresh baby spinach 

sweet onion

tomato 

cucumber

avocado

Kraft Creamy French Dressing

Y**U**M**

No pretentious ingredients here.
Good ole down to earth salad.

**Ready to eat, comes in a bag, has iceberg lettuce, carrot, and sometimes a bit of purple cabbage.

No Tomatoes Salad

fresh baby spinach

diced apple

walnuts

apple cider vinagrette

Apple Cider Vinagrette Recipe:

equal parts cider vinegar and sugar

salt to taste

a dab of honey mustard

 oil: 2 or 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil per 1 tablespoon vinegar

Beat w/ a whisk while dripping/drizzling in the oil.

Continue to beat until it is thick and creamy.

ENJOY

Pineapple Cheese Salad

You will need:

• one 3 oz box pineapple or lemon gelatin
• 2 cups liquid (water or pineapple juice and water to equal 2 cups)
• one 15 oz can crushed pineapple, drained  ( I use the one in juice vs syrup) 
• 2.5 cups of mini marshmallows
• one 8 oz carton Cool Whip thawed
• 4 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
• mayonnaise 
• pecans: optional, about 2 oz or more as desired.

Method:

In a saucepan drain pineapple and add enough water to equal 2 cups. Bring to a boil. Remove and add the marshmallows. Stir until they are melted. Add the  drained pineapple and stir to mix.

Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and place in the fridge to thicken. (It should be thick like egg whites.)

Once thickened remove, and fold in the Cool Whip. Make sure everything is  completely blended. Be sure to fold gently so you don't deflate it.   If you are using the pecans add those now.

Pour into a glass 9x13 dish. (if you use metal it needs to be non-reactive like stainless steel). Not necessary to grease the pan.

Place uncovered in the fridge and chill til set.

When it's set, spread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Put back in the fridge, covered, until your are ready to serve it.  It will be firm enough to cut into squares.

Cook's notes: I have made this with sugar free gelatin and low fat Cool Whip( to make it lower in calories) with good results.

Autumn Salad Number Three

mixed salad greens

pineapple chunks

grated cheddar

sliced almonds

bacon pieces

sesame oil salad dressing

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Salad dressing recipe: 

•  5 TB mayo
• 2 TB honey
• 1 TB white vinegar
• 1 tsp honey mustard
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 

Combine with whisk until smooth.

If you don't have honey, you can substitute sugar.

Delicious Apple Salad Using Carlsons Lemon Flavor Fish Oil: No Fishy Taste!

This is for one serving.  Multiply for more servings.

• One half cup small dice Granny Smith apple with or without the peel
• A few raisins
• One date diced
• A few walnuts
• A sprinkle of ground cloves
• One teaspoon of Carlsons Fish Oil, lemon flavor

Mix together.  Enjoy.

Cheery Cherry Pie on Presidents Day

This pie will cheer you.  Why?  Because it's easy to make and easy on the calories.

You will need:

***half a can of cherry pie filling

***6 egg roll wrappers which have been cut into quarters or 24 won top wrappers

***mini cupcake pan with 24 cups

***oil spray like Pam

This will make 24.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray the mini cupcake pan.  Into each cup place a square of wrapper, pressing it into the sides of  the cup.  Place one whole cherry in each cup and top with enough glaze to almost fill.  Press the overlapping wrapper over the top--no need to seal it.  Spray lightly with oil spray.  Bake 15 minutes or until browned.  Allow to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I used Mussleman cherry pie filling and Nasoya brand wrappers.  Each cheery cherry pie is 30 calories.  

New Love

 I ♥  smoothie--in a bowl!

Why? 

It tastes great.

It's an easy way to get 2-3 servings of fruit.

And if you eat it in a bowl versus drinking from a glass, it lasts 'forever'.  You'll have a heap big bowl of wonderfulness.

And you'll be stuffed.  And satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.

It's like a fruit soup.  

 And it's cold like ice cream because I use frozen fruit or add some ice. 

And you can add toppings like granola, nuts, coconut--even Magic Shell topping, all of which makes it like dessert! Dessert that is GOOD for you.  That you can feel GOOD about eating.  And that tastes GOOD to boot

I like to throw in half a scoop of protein powder for whey protein (which staves off hunger) and some plain yogurt or milk for calcium as well as protein,

And I usually add some flax meal for fiber.  Or some chia seed, which I grind first due to diverticulosis.

And always--for the B vitamins (plus protein and fiber too) --my beloved nutritional yeast.

I've been eating it every day and my weight is at a new low by a few ounces.

And I feel great.

Maybe it's psychological.  Or maybe it's not.

No matter. 

The proof is in the pudding--or in this case in the fruit bowl.

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Note:  It's not necessary to add all of the above to your smoothie in a bowl.  Just use what you have on hand and see if you like it.  I always buy bananas, and I keep frozen fruit in my freezer--strawberries, blueberries, or peaches. Begin with one or two fruits, enough to equal two servings, add some liquid --like milk, yogurt and/or water--and blend away.  Usually the fruit is sweet enough for me, but you can add a little sweetener for taste if you desire.

I got the idea for smoothie in a bowl from KERF--i.e, Kath Eats blog.  I thought 'what's the big deal about eating it in a bowl?'.  Well, I found out. 

When I drink it down, I guzzle it.  Eating it with a spoon from a bowl takes longer and yields more pleasure and satisfaction--something any of us who are trying to lose weight need more of.

For pictures of smoothie in a bowl check out KERF.

"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't"


Some days I want nothing but milk chocolate after lunch.  Other days I opt for nutritionally healthier fare

Both options can fit into my weight loss plan.  Hint:  the key is calories--excess calories make you gain weight.



Here are two options that are fruit based-- I've been enjoying of late.

Date Nut Bites

• remove pit from whole dates, then cut date in half
• fill each half with a small amount of neufchatel cheese (this is like cream cheese)
• dip in shredded coconut
• top--press it in--with a nut piece,  walnut or almond
• drizzle with a little chocolate Magic Shell ice cream topping
• chill for a few minutes to harden the Magic Shell 

 

Raw Banana Split

• peel one banana, cut in half, place on plate
• top with diced dates
• sprinkle with nut pieces and coconut
• drizzle with chocolate Magic Shell ice cream topping--just a little
• chill to harden the Magic Shell

Interesting note on Magic Shell  ice cream topping

The 'magic' that makes it harden when it is put on cold food is coconut oil.  Yep.  And coconut oil is a healthy  fat, similar to olive oil in that it is a medium chain fatty acid.

A lot of people declare it bad for us because of it's high saturated fat profile.

Whatever.  I'm not convinced that sat fat is the culprit we think it is.  To each his own.

 Magic Shell has some sunflower oil too, which keeps it liquid and pourable.  (Coconut oil is solid at normal room temperature.)  If your magic shell gets cold it will harden so that it won't pour.  If it does, set it in a vessel of hot water for a few minutes.

Rawhide and Pie

Another one of dad's favorite westerns. Just hearing the theme song brings back memories--good ones.

With the upcoming holidays everyone needs an easy to make delicious pie. Here is one of my favorites:

Hawaiian Pie

• 2 baked pie crusts (I buy the frozen 2 pack shallow shells--bake according to package.)
• 1 large can crushed pineapple (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 large bananas sliced
• 1 cup of grated coconut--fresh or frozen (I have used the processed too with good results.)
• 1 cup of chopped nuts (I like pecans but walnuts are good too.)
• 1 large tub of Cool Whip or whipped cream if you prefer

 In a saucepan combine the sugar and flour.  Add the whole can of pineapple.  Stir together to mix well.  Heat/cook until thick.  Let cool.

Line your pie crusts with the sliced banana.  Sprinkle nuts over the bananas and coconut over the nuts.  Pour half of cooled pineapple filling over each pie.  Chill.  Cover each pie with half the whipped topping.
 

The Junk Food Diet

Nutrition Professor:   Eats Junk Food, Loses Weight

And he ate only what he could purchase at a convenience store.

To read the full story click here or here.

Tomorrow it's back to nostalgic vintage video--because tis the season to be jolly-fa la la la la, la la la la.

Strawberry Chocolate Mess

Big bowl of dessert, low in calories and fat.

Mix together 6 tablespoons fat free Cool Whip and a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.

In a bowl place:

• one sugar free strawberry jello cup (break it up into pieces)
• diced fresh strawberries--amount should fill empty jello cup
• 15 mini marshmallows
• one Oreo cookie, crumbled
• the chocolate Cool Whip

Now toss the mess together.  Eat.  Enjoy.

Calorie count:  jello 5; SF Cool Whip 50; berries 23; cookie 53; marshmallows 34  Total is 165.

Yogurt Rice with Fruit and Nuts

If you tire of oatmeal try some cooked brown rice for breakfast.  I cook a batch, then freeze it in half cup portions.  For breakfast I defrost/ heat it in the microwave.  Then I stir in some mixed dried fruit bits, some walnut pieces and a big spoonful of plain yogurt.  Drizzled with some honey, it is soooooo good.  I had this for breakfast --instead of toast-- with a poached egg.

Note:  sprinkle your frozen rice with some water, cover with a paper towel, the microwave until defrosted and warmed.  The mixed dried fruit bits--by Sun Maid-- contain apricots, raisins, plums, peaches, cherries and apple.

Beautiful Salad

This time of year it's a good idea to eat salads because you can save some calories--and you need your veggies too. But tomatoes, which often are part of a salad, don't taste very good, plus they are more expensive.

Enter this salad. It's one of my favorites--and it is beautiful too.

There is no recipe. But I will give you a general of idea of amounts for one salad.

Here's the ingredient list: (layer in the order given)

2 cups of washed baby spinach

1 ounce of soft plain goat cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons of dried cranberries

1 heaping tablespoon of walnut pieces

Serve with a lightly sweetened dressing like a balsamic vinaigrette or a poppy seed dressing. Yum.

Note: In the summertime I replace the cranberries with fresh strawberry slices.

Apple Muffins for Fall Break

We're going to be taking several days off for fall vacation so I'm taking another break. I'll be reading your blogs though as I have time.

I leave you with this recipe for apple cake muffins. It's one of my favorites.

Combine dry ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
• 1/2 cup sugar (the original recipe calls for one cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix to combine, then stir in 1 cup fresh chopped peeled apples, 1/4 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup chopped raisins.

Combine wet ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons molasses

Mix well to incorporate all .

Now combine the wet and dry ingredients until well blended.

Bake in cupcake muffin tins. If you don't use paper liners you'll need to grease the tins.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until they test done (a toothpick stuck in the center should come out clean).

Be careful not to over bake . These are a dense muffin. Enjoy with an afternoon cuppa.
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Notes: If you use paper liners let the muffins cool thoroughly or they will stick to the paper. And don't skip the extra step of chopping the raisins. You'll get more chewy raisin goodness in every bite if you chop the raisins.

Perplexed About Hunger

Lately I haven't been hungry which is none to common to me. It's gotten me to thinking and asking "why".

Perhaps it's the time of the year? Summer is almost over and fall is around the corner, a time when things are winding down. The light is waning and the days are shorter

Or maybe it's hormonal? I've lost 15 pounds of fat, and I've read belly fat releases a hormone that triggers hunger.

Is it the new relationship to food that I'm developing? The Intuitive Eating approach is to not restrict any type of food. Since no food is forbidden the previously "bad" foods are less desirable from an emotional standpoint. And since a lot of my eating is emotional, not stemming from true physical hunger, that could figure into it.

It's a good thing that I'm not hungry all the time--but the "dilemma"...if you can call it that...hahaha...is how should I respond to it??? Wait until I get hungry and then eat a meal? I tried that the other day and at 1:30 pm I was still not hungry for lunch but ate anyway because I doubted I could go until supper time without eating and was afraid I'd "spoil" my supper if I found myself ravenous and eating at 4 pm. (Why didn't I just skip the meal all together???)

In the morning I wake up not hungry and am inclined to skip breakfast. But that knowledge that I "should" eat breakfast is rattling around in my head. The statistic that people who skip breakfast are fat--that they overeat later in the day--you've heard it...that knowledge screams at me. But all those years I wasn't fat I never ate breakfast. And the rare times I did I was starving well before lunch.

And then there's the "knowledge" that it's important to eat so that the metabolism stays revved up. So if I'm not hungry and I don't eat, am I sabotaging my weight loss effort?

So many questions and very few clear, certain answers.

What I believe I'm learning is that I need to listen to my body. It's hard, this listening to my body. I've ignored it for so long that I barely know it. I've been a dictator, ignoring the needs of my body, doing what I decided was seemly. Like staying up late to do things I felt I must instead of going to bed for sleep. Or skimping on fresh fruit--which I enjoy--because canned fruit is cheaper--which I don't enjoy.

I imagine this season will pass. For now it is to my benefit-- it's certainly easier to eat less food when you're not hungry--so I'll try and make the most of it. But I won't be too surprised if I wake up tomorrow starving.

Smoothie on a Diet

Smoothie from Vegan Spoonful

I started using smoothies as a way to get a concentrated amount of fruit into my diet in one fell swoop. Put the ingredients in the blender, whip it up, drink it down. If it was a meal replacement then I'd also add some protein power.

The calorie content of my smoothies were the equivalent of a meal. Generally for a fruit smoothie I'd begin with a banana---who wanted to mess with a half of banana sitting around was my thought and if I was going to be eating it later that day anyway, why not sooner as later (this was before I'd discovered how to best save that half banana); then a 1/3 cup of skim milk powder and a serving of fruit juice---about 6 ounces ---so it would blend. Sometimes I'd replace the skim milk powder with yogurt. Then because the point was to get in multiple servings of fruit I'd add some fresh fruit in season--- like strawberries and blueberries, or some frozen fruit--about a cup total. Then to boost the fiber and nutrition I'd add some ground flax and some wheat germ--mind you these have calories too--flax, if my recall is correct is 50 calories for a tablespoon. Then if it was to be my breakfast, a half scoop of protein powder, which was 55 calories. Add this baby up, and you've got the count way up there.

So I realized I need to tweak my smoothie. Now instead of being like a creamy shake it is like a light sorbet....and every bit as satisfying.

Today's tweaked smoothie was a cup of water and a cup of frozen fruit which was a combination of mango, strawberry and banana. I threw in a few frozen fresh cranberries which gave it a sweet tart flavor---these have been in my freezer since Christmas. And to sweeten it since the liquid was water, which fills you up but not out, I used one teaspoon of sugar, which is a measly 15 calories and a packet of Stevia, which is equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar. I ended up with a very thick, fruity, sorbet-like concoction that tasted great and was only 125 calories and I got in a couple fruit servings and a variety of fruits in the process.

If you make your fruit smoothies primarily from fruit and water with a low calories sweetener you can't do nearly as much damage, and they are enjoyable. I was thinking that a tablespoon or two of yogurt swirled into the finished product would be pretty, give it a creamscicle effect or even a drizzle of one half tablespoon of half & half for 15 calories would make it seem decadent...whoops....now my mind is going to whipped cream....scratch that thought.

For another low cal sweet treat that is similar to a mocha frappucino for a lot less calories blend 6 ounces of low fat milk, 3-4 ice cubes, one teaspoon of instant coffee and 15 grams (or a half scoop) of chocolate whey protein powder---I used Jay Robb's brand. (The protein powder seems to thicken it.) Add calorie free sweetener of your choice to taste. My low fat milk is 90 calories for 6 ounces and the protein powder is 55 calories. This will satisfy your chocolate and coffee cravings and seems like a dessert, plus gives you a protein boost which along with the fat, protein and carbs in the milk should keep you satisfied for a pretty long time. It's a great pick me up in the middle of the afternoon when you have low blood sugar and are craving a Coke/Pepsi or coffee and a cookie or piece of chocolate. Because of the volume it's more filling and since it's cold it's quite refreshing.

So...bottom line when it comes to fruit smoothies: think water! think fruit! And to get your creative processes flowing, think exotic. What about adding some flavorings?--- like rose petal (use rose water) or hibiscus (think hibiscus tea---many herbal brands contain this) for starters. I'd just brew the tea, which has no calories, and use that in place of the water. Got any ideas? Please share them in the comments.