Katrina Eats

Leftover Update

2009-02-11T08:16:00.002-06:00

Last night I went to the gym and didn't get home until late, so decided it was a good night for a salad and leftover red lentil rice cakes. I decided to try some spaghetti sauce on them. I put a dollop of sauce on top of each, then added some mozzarella cheese and nuked them. They were really good that way. The fennel seed in them gives them a kind of pizza-y taste, so the extra cheese and sauce made it like a pizza burger!

My New Toy

2009-02-08T19:17:00.003-06:00

After attempting to cut off my finger a couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time for a food processor.
It arrived earlier this week and I just tried it out tonight with an onion and a red pepper. I'm in love..... And not bandaged.

Katrina Eats Vegetarian!

2009-02-08T18:52:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe in Cooking Light Magazine.

Red Lentil-Rice Cakes with Simple Tomato Salsa

Salsa:

3 cups finely chopped plum tomato (about 6 tomatoes)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons capers

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cakes:

5 cups water, divided

1 cup dried small red lentils

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1. To prepare salsa, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside at room temperature.

2. To prepare cakes, bring 4 cups water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Place lentils in a large bowl.

3. Combine remaining 1 cup water and rice in pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Cool 10 minutes. Add rice to lentils.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, fennel seeds, and garlic to pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes. Add to rice mixture. Add mozzarella cheese and remaining ingredients, stirring until well combined. Let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Spoon half of rice mixture by 1/3-cupfuls into pan, spreading to form 6 (3-inch) circles; cook 5 minutes or until lighly browned. Carefully turn cakes over; cook 5 minutes on other side.

Remove cakes from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining rice mixture. Serve with salsa. Yield: 6 servings (serving: 2 cakes and 1/2 cup salsa). 5 points per serving.

A note from Cooking Light: Make sure you are using red lentils. Yellow lentils will not work in this recipe.

THE VERDICT: These aren't bad, they have decent flavor, but the texture is a bit odd. I like meat, so probably won't make these again unless I have to. They are, however, very filling. Two cakes are 5 points. So the cakes and a salad made a nice meal.

I'm lazy, so I didn't make the salsa. Figured I would just use good ol' Pace, but that wasn't quite right. I'm thinking it would be good with a bit of marinara sauce, but just a bit. It wasn't good with ranch.

Now, the recipe makes 12 cakes. I don't know why, but I made the full recipe. So, I have leftovers. I will have cakes to re-heat and I have some of the mix, so will be able to see if it will keep. Check back for a leftover report later in the week.

Asian Zing Salad

2009-02-04T19:32:00.003-06:00

With all the credit for this going to the wonderful folks at Buffalo Wild Wings....I present my version of the Asian Zing Salad.

I took what was left in the bag of lettuce, tossed in a handful of coleslaw mix and topped it with 6 oz of chicken breast that had been coated in Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing Sauce. Next I added a half a can of mandarin oranges and 1/4 cup of Chow Mein Noodles. Final step was to drizzle on a Tablespoon of Newman's Own Light Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing and eat it all up. About 10 points.

Salmon with Gingery Cabbage

2009-02-02T08:30:00.004-06:00

I found this recipe in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine and since I love salmon and I love cabbage, thought I would give it a try.

1 tbls olive oil

1 sm onion, thinly sliced

4 pieces salmon fillet (6 oz each), skin removed

1/2 tsp curry powder

2 tbls Dijon mustard with seeds

2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 bag (16 oz) shredded cabbage for coleslaw

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, grease 13" x 9" glass baking dish. With tweezers, remove any bones from salmon pieces. Place salmon, rounded sides up, in baking dish. In cup, stir together curry powder, Dijon mustard, and 2 tsps water; use to brush evenenly over salmon.

Roast salmon, with out turning over, 15 minutes or just until opaque throughout.

While salmon roasts, add ginger and cumin to onion in skillet, and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add cabbage and 1/4 tsp salt; cover and cook 11 to 13 minutes or until cabbage is just tender and starts to brown, stirring occasionally.

To serve, spoon cabbage mixture onto 4 dinner plates; top with salmon.

7 points per serving.

The opening line in the magazine for this recipe promises "warm spices add exotic flavor". I guess I like my food really spicy, so I was a bit let down on the spicy-ness of this dish. It was good, but if I make it again, I will definitely spice it up!

I Love Fart Bars

2009-01-28T11:10:00.003-06:00

However, fart bars do not love me. So, I needed to find a snack and frankly, I'm just not good at eating fruit, even if it is sitting right in front of me.

A while back, our local grocery store had their store brand peanut butter on sale. I have never had a problem with it, but these two jars had the consistency of crisco. Taste was fine, but eww. I didn't want to throw them out, so I went in search of a recipe. I also had a pile of overripe bananas, but that seems to be the norm around my house.

I surfed over to Allrecipes.com and found a recipe for Banana Peanut Butter Bread and a couple of reviewers mentioned that they had made the recipe into muffins. Just the thing I need. So I made some and they are good! I made a few of the recommended changes and baked it like this:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line muffin tins.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in peanut butter, bananas, flour, baking soda and vanilla until blended. Scoop out a large soup spoon full of batter and put in muffin cups.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Makes 24 muffins for 3 points each.

I really liked these and will make them again. Although they are 1 point more than a fart bar, they take care of that need for a little something between breakfast and lunch that happens to me about 10:30ish every day. And they don't tear up my guts or turn me into a fart machine.

And how about that beautiful loaf of bread? It's about a point per ounce and way more delicious than diet bread. Just sayin'...

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-01-25T11:12:00.005-06:00

They say people learn from their mistakes. I think the lesson I'm supposed to be learning is to order take out.

Here is this week's new recipe from the Weight Watcher's website.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

1 spray(s) cooking spray
8 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk

1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), green part only, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cup(s) cooked chicken breast, chopped*
6 medium whole wheat tortilla(s), 7-inches each
1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp variety
6 medium olive(s), green, pitted, sliced
1/4 cup(s) salsa

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cheese product and sour cream; cover and microwave on high power until cheese melts, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove half of melted cheese to a small bowl and stir in evaporated milk; set aside. Add scallions, red pepper flakes and chicken to remaining cheese mixture; stir to coat.Spoon about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; fold in sides of tortilla to cover filling and place tortillas in a single layer in prepared dish; spoon remaining cheese sauce over top and then sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and olives.

Bake until cheese topping is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with salsa. Yields 1 enchilada per serving.

Okay, my first sentence may have made it sound like these were a disaster, but they weren't. Just had a few issues that on top of many other cooking issues I've had, make me wonder why I still enjoy cooking.

So, here's what went wrong with these: The store I shop at does not carry light Velveeta, so I bought the full-fat stuff with the thought that I would use half velveeta and half low-fat colby jack for that part. But then when I get home, I find out that full fat Velveeta has the same fat content of the low-fat colby jack. Who knew?

So next, I have no clue how many chicken breasts I need to cook in order to obtain 3 cups of cooked chicken. So, I took out the open bag of chicken breasts, there was one humongus breast and half of another regular sized and a tiny piece of one. Eh - that looks good and I really don't want to open another bag...soooooo... That's what I cooked. I ended up with about 2 cups of cooked chicken.

And final screw up is the fact that I can't read. Instead of adding the evaporated milk to the melted cheese mixture and setting THAT aside, I set aside the part that did not have the evaporated milk and mixed the chicken, scallions and red pepper flakes into the part that did have the evaporated milk. After I had done that I realized that the evaporated milk was probably what made the cheese mixture into a sauce. Doh!

So with the lack of chicken, I only ended up with 5 enchiladas instead of six. But they were very good, even screwed up. I'll make them again, but hopefully, learn from my mistakes.

Sunday Paper

2009-01-25T11:02:00.003-06:00

I love the Sunday paper. Except this week. The only things in the sale ads are tvs and junk food. I don't need any of that!!

Sausage Cabbage and Potato Soup

2009-01-19T16:06:00.004-06:00

I found this recipe on Delish.com, and then tweaked it to make it a bit more Weight Watcher friendly.

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds shredded green cabbage
1 pound baking potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
2 cups water
1/2 pound sliced carrots
4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 pound Hillshire Farms Turkey Sausage, sliced up

Heat canola oil in a pan, add onions, cook them about 5 minutes or until translucent. Then dump everything else into a big-ass pot and cook it. Remove bay leaf and eat.

This makes 13 cups of soup with a points value of 3 points per cup. I put the soup in gladware containers and freeze them, that way, I have a quick lunch on hand. Another bonus -- the thyme and bayleaf make the house smell wonderful while the soup is cooking.

This soup is really good, good enough to serve to guests! But I like it so much, I don't want to share!!

Clean Slate

2009-01-08T16:57:00.003-06:00

I just love the New Year. It's like a brand new notebook, just waiting for the pages to be filled in. A fresh start is always good. So, like millions of other people around the world, I'm making that list of resolutions. Number one on the list is to continue with my quest to get healthy!

My resolutions for my blog are this:

Get back to trying a new recipe every week and posting about it.
Keep track of my successes and I'm sure a few failures in my Weight Watchers journey.
Working through my issues with emotional eating.
Tracking my exercise goals for 2009.

Okay, just for the record, the holidays were not good to me weight-wise. I have no one to blame but me. Anyhoo--- my net weight loss for 2008 was 13.6 pounds. I'm happy, because it's better than the 15 pounds I gained in 2007. Right?

News from Turtleville

2008-11-15T11:21:00.002-06:00

I joined Weight Watchers (this time) on April 12th, 2008. Today, I finally hit the 20 pounds lost milestone.

Thirty-one weeks. Twenty pounds. Seems so slow, but when I look at the last few years, it's a great loss. In that same time frame last year, I gained 3 pounds. Which for me is pretty damn good. Only 3 pounds. The time from November last year to April this year I gained more than 3 pounds.

Less than a pound a week. It's a good healthy sustainable loss. I'm happy.

Thanks to the Magic Journal for a 2.2 lb loss this week!! It was good to get back to basics.

Magic Journal

2008-11-11T09:31:00.003-06:00

My WW meeting has a "magic" journal. Each week, one member takes this journal home with them and uses it. This week, I'm that member. In the four weeks this journal has been being used, "it" has lost a total of 9.3 pounds. I'm hoping it works its magic on me.

What makes the journal magic? Well, for me it is all about getting back to the basics. I have spent the last 6 weeks just barely participating in my own weight loss efforts. I missed several meetings, some for legitimate reasons, others because I didn't want to face the scale. I have managed to maintain my weight loss, but, I'm ready to get serious again. Just in time for the holiday season. I am this close to a 20 lb loss. My goal at the beginning of the year was to lose 31 pounds. And while losing 13.2 pounds in 7 weeks, is doable. I'm not certain I can do it with the holidays and my birthday all right around the corner.

But whatever magic the journal holds for me this week, I will accept graciously and go forth. This year I'm going to make the holidays about fun, family, relaxation. Not about food. But, there will be cake on my birthday.

The Latest News from Try Day

2008-10-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

Found this recipe on the Weight Watcher site and used it as my new recipe of the week. It was really, really good.

Citrus-Beef Stir-Fry with Carrots

POINTS: 7

1 pound Beef, strip sirloin, trimmed, raw, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

3 Tbsp unpacked light brown sugar

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp orange zest

1/2 small tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp sesame oil

2 cup carrot(s), matchstick-cut

1 medium onion(s), cut into 8 wedges and separated

Place beef in a shallow dish; pour 2 tablespoons soy sauce over beef. Turn to coat completely. Let marinate 15 minutes in refrigerator.

Combine orange juice, sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, orange rind and red pepper in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add beef and cook 6 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a serving platter; keep warm.Reduce heat to medium-high; add carrot and onion. Cook 7 minutes or until carrot is lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to high; add beef and its juices and orange juice mixture. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

Smoothie Recipe #2

2008-10-03T12:18:00.003-05:00

Like Rootbeer floats? Me too!!!

1 cup skim milk
1 vanilla smoothie mix
Diet Rootbeer

Blend milk and mix in a blender. Pour mixture into an ice cube tray. Freeze.

Place frozen cubes in blender, slowly pour desired amount of root beer over cubes and blend. If you want a thinner smoothie, add more rootbeer. If you want a thicker one, well, it's too late now, you put too much in!! :o)

Don't keep frozen cubes in the ice cube tray for too long. If you can't use them up within a day or two, pop them out and put them in a freezer bag. Otherwise, they get ooky.

I Cheat

2008-10-01T13:59:00.003-05:00

Let me start by saying this: Weight Watchers is an awesome program. I would recommend it to anyone who really wants to lose weight.

Now, let me tell you about my cheating.

1) I did not get fat eating fruit. I am not a big fruit eater and really hate having to use 2 points to eat a banana. So my cheat with fruit is this: Any fruit I eat is 1 point. When I put it in my journal, I use whatever serving size equals 1 point. I remember a former poster on the 100+ Board that lost all of her weight but never counted points for fruit. Of course I haven't seen her on there for a while. Maybe she got fat again by eating fruit.

2) Not sure that this is an actual cheat because there are differing schools of thought. I'm of the belief that yes indeed, potatoes are a vegetable. However, I only count potatoes as 1 serving. 1/2 cup of potatoes = 1 serving and 1 point. 3 cups of potatoes = 1 serving and 7.5 points

3) Lettuce, on the other hand, is indeed a vegetable. There is no argument there. But iceberg lettuce, my lettuce of choice, has no nutritional value at all. WW says that 1 cup of lettuce is a vegetable serving. I agree. However, 3 cups of lettuce in my world is also 1 vegetable serving.

Okay, not the worst cheats in the world and none involve brownies (darn it). But I feel better having confessed that.

Overheard at the Subway

2008-09-30T08:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went to lunch at Subway. There were 3 cute, skinny teenage girls behind me in line. When they got up to the cash register, the following conversation took place:

Girl: Can we get 3 cookies?
Subway dude: No.
Girl: Is that some kind of joke?
Subway dude: No, we are out of cookies.

I found it really funny.

Adventures in Cooking

2008-09-29T10:20:00.003-05:00

Recipes, schmecipes.....

I "tried" this one:

Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole

POINTS: 7 Six servings

1 sprays cooking spray
2 medium tomato(es), sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
12 oz raw lean ground beef
1 large onion(s), finely chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 cup canned tomato sauce
2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 large egg yolk(s)
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp parsley, oregano or rosemary, chopped
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 500ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread tomatoes and zucchini over sheet. Roast vegetables for 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanhwile, in a large, nonstick skillet, sauté beef, onion and garlic until beef is browned. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.

Spread beef mixture in a large, shallow baking dish (3 quart or 9 X 13-inches) and top with roasted vegetables. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.

Whisk together cottage cheese, egg yolk, cheddar cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon over roasted vegetables and smooth with a rubber spatula.Bake until very hot and bubbling around edges, about 35 minutes. Cut into six equal pieces and serve immediately. (Note: If preparing casserole in advance and freezing it, make sure to thaw it completely in the refrigerator before baking it. Increase the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.)

MMMMM... Sounds good right? Well it might just be if you cook it correctly. So, what went wrong? Medium zucchinis are bigger than I think. I blame men. Tomato sauce is something I always have on hand, so didn't buy any. I didn't have any. hmmmm....I did have some spaghetti sauce that my mother made and canned..... But there was 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce, what am I going to do with the extra 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce? Oh, I'll just throw it in. And although I did put cheddar cheese on the shopping list, it did not make it home. Luckily, I had a cheddar/mozzarella blend.

Well, anyway, I ended up with soup. The spaghetti sauce, in addition to being too much, was also a thinner consistency than the tomato sauce.

HOWEVER, I did eat it. It had a good taste. But what to do with the leftovers??? hmmm....well, I boiled up some whole wheat spaghetti noodles and mixed them into what was left. So, now I have 6 servings of leftover stuff. Each serving, about 7 1/2 points.

I will "try" this again. Only make it right.

Pinky Swear

2008-09-26T13:05:00.003-05:00

Okay, Jeni says we did a pinky swear that we would update our blogs daily. I thought we did a pinky swear to stay OP. But ya know what??? I'm willing to do both. Ummm, except we did this on Sunday and now it's Friday.... Oh well. I'll get my act together, someday.

I have had an absolutely fan-freekin'-tabulous week. Lisa has walked me every day. I have journalled every bite. Even the mandatory piece of cake at one of my favorite co-worker's retirement party.

Look at how happy I am when I have cake!!! I also had some fruit on there, but I know that wasn't why I was so happy.

I even hauled my lazy butt to the Y this morning for 70 full minutes of aqua jogging.

School has been going good. That test I was stressing about? I got a 29/30. My accounting information systems class has been very informative. I already use excel daily, but now, I can do even more with it. And, I think I just might be the teacher's pet. He always writes really nice things on my homework assignments. One, I had some stuff wrong and he still gave me the full points for it because he could tell I knew what I was doing. I'll take it. I *think* the income tax class is going well. We have only had one assignment that she has returned to us, but I really felt like I knew what I was doing on the Chapter 2 stuff. We'll see....

Oh, and last night was the income tax teacher's birthday so she brought cookies to class. I declined. So unlike me.

And you know what else is not like me? Tomorrow I weigh-in. And I don't even care what the scale says. I'm just feeling so good from eating right and exercising this week.

Stop the Madness

2008-09-14T15:58:00.003-05:00

Life has been just nuts lately. I'm so stressed out I can't stand it. School has started again. I'm taking 3 classes. One online, the other 2 live and in person. My house is a disaster. My home computer is having issues. I haven't been journalling. I still have a pile of homework and it's already 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon. I'm at the office because I needed internet access to do some homework. I should stay and do a test I'm not ready for, but will I be ready for it any other time? I'm having some sort of issue with an ovary (I think). Whatever it is, it sure hurts.

Well think I will go home. I need to stop and get an onion and some beans. I will then have all the stuff I need to make a hotdish and some chili. Then there will be lunches in the freezer. I also am going to make a decent dinner and make a dent in my income tax homework. I have a haircut appt after work on Tuesday, so will stop back at the office after it to do my test. I'll be okay. I just need to keep moving and keep breathing. Wish me luck.

Almond Crusted Tilapia

2008-09-02T10:00:00.006-05:00

I belong to a really great group and every week we are encouraged to try something new. Here is my latest experiment - and ooooh baby is it ever delish!!! I found the recipe in this month's Good Housekeeping magazine.

Here is the recipe:

2 lemons

2 Tbls olive oil

4 tilapia fillets (6 oz each)

1/4 c. sliced natural almonds

1 sm. onion, chopped

1 bag (12 oz) trimmed fresh green beans

1 pkg (10 oz) sliced white mushrooms

2 Tbsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. From 1 lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice; cut second lemon into wedges. In cup, mix lemon peel and 1 tablespoon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.

2. Spray 13" by 9" glass baking dish with nonstick spray; place tilapia, dark side down, in dish. Drizzle tilapia with lemon mixture; top with almonds, pressing them on. Bake 15 minutes or until tilapia turns opaque.

3. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat reaming 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high 1 minute. Add onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in green beans, muchrooms, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Cook about 6 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates and green beans are tender-crisp. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Serve bean mixture and lemon wedges with tilapia.

Makes 4 servings - 7 points per serving.

I only had small tilapia fillets - so the above photo is of a 3.5 ounce fillet, not a 6 ounce one as called for in the recipe.

This is really easy to make and tastes great! I will be making it again!

Smoothie Recipe #1

2008-08-06T14:36:00.002-05:00

I love WW Smoothies. Occassionally, I get creative with them and I'm going to start sharing some of my creations with the blogosphere. That's the good news. The bad news is that unless you go to a WW meeting, you will not be able to buy WW Smoothies. You can however, just walk into a center and buy them without having to actually join WW. But if you need to lose weight, I highly recommend that you join as long as you are there.

Smoothie Recipe #1:

This is my almost every night smoothie.

1 packet WW Chocolate Smoothie Mix
1 cup skim milk
7 ice cubes
1 banana

Put all that in a blender and blend until smooth.

2 milks, 1 fruit and if it's not 1 water, it's pretty darn close. 4-5 points depending on size of banana.

Dental Work + PMS + Work Crap =

2008-08-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

One cranky Katrina!

This morning, I had a crown prep done. This summer I have spent enough money on medical/dental issues that I could have gone on a nice vacation! But, it all had to be done, so I suppose it is good to have it all finished up by the time school starts in 19 days!

PMS - well, that should be self-explanatory to any female or male who has ever encountered a female. I just want to go home, lock myself away from all living things and eat mashed potatoes. It really would be for the benefit of all mankind.

I have a job I really like, but I have one aspect of this job that is such a headache every month. Our agency issues credit cards to many of our employees. I am in charge of wrangling in the paperwork that goes along with each month's purchases. You would think I was asking them to donate a kidney for all the trouble I have to go through to get this done. It's not difficult!

I think dinner will include mashed potatoes, just maybe not the trough of them I am envisioning...

Go Gadget Go!

2008-08-04T07:30:00.001-05:00

I just love gadgets!!

This weekend I bought (from l to r) a microwave egg poacher, a new digital food scale, and a mandoline.

Haven't tried the egg poacher, but can't wait to!

The scale is awesome. Picked it up at Target for $29.99.

The slicer is fantabulous! It is also a Chefmate, but I can't find a link to one anywhere. Got it at Target for $9.99. I made some fried potatoes on Saturday night and they were so pretty. Can't wait to julienne something!

TryDay Results

2008-08-03T21:35:00.002-05:00

Mexican- Style Brown Rice Casserole

Doesn't it look yummy???

Well, it is!!

Here is the recipe:

1 sprays cooking spray
4 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/4 cup salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz canned refried beans
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp chili powder
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, or collard greens, thawed and set to drain in a strainer over a bowl
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional; for garnish)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 2-quart rectangular, round or oval baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.
In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili power. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.
Squeeze out any excess water from spinach or collard greens and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve. (my note: if you are not using hot rice, I would recommend baking it longer)

My review:

I liked this and I will make it again. It made six very large servings. I did not have anything else with this and was very full. I do have some ideas for tweaking the recipe that I would like to try. Use 3 cups of rice instead of 4, more spinach, maybe use black beans instead of refried. And for sure, use real cheese instead of reduced fat. On 3/4 of a cup it "only" adds 2.5 points to the entire casserole! And would be oh-so-worth-it!! I also think this would be really good put in a tortilla for a nice wrap!

Fish Story

2008-07-23T20:36:00.004-05:00

I found some fish at the store. I bought 2 nice salmon fillets (not the sockeye, just the regular for $8.89/lb.). I cut each in half, cooked one and froze the other 3 pieces. Also bought a few tilapia fillets.

Dinner was delish!! I put 1 tsp of olive oil on the salmon, added some seafood seasoning, dill and pepper. Then baked. Also had some new potatoes and peas. Nice dinner for 11.5 points.

3:40 a.m.

2008-07-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

That's what time I was awakened this morning by a thunderstorm. A damn loud thunderstorm! Lots of thunder and lightening.

But as long as I was awake, it was a whole lot easier to get out of bed at 5 and head to the Y. I have been a very bad girl and haven't been there for 12 days. Sure felt good though to hit the pool! I have a date for tomorrow morning, too. Yay!

Random thoughts for today:

Fish. I want fish. I'm hungry for fish. The only fish in my house is fishsticks (no) and canned tuna (no). Think I will stop at the store for some fish on the way home tonight. Wild Sockeye Salmon is "on sale" for just $9.99 a lb. It sounds fantabulous, so I may just have to splurge and get some, but will see what else they have. As much as I love living in North Dakota, good seafood is hard to come by.

Bifocals. Yep, this old fart gets to get bifocals. Went to the eye doctor Monday, it's time. They will be in next week. Oh well, I am getting tired of having to take my glasses off if I want to read anything or look at something up close.

Freckles. At the eye doctor I also learned I have a freckle in my right eye. Freckle? I've never hear of eye freckles! Well, they are real. And those of us with Scandinavian ancestry are more prone to them than other people. Luckily, only a very small percentage turn malignant. On the plus side of this? I got to see a photo of the inside of my eye. Very cool.

Mamma Mia!. Go, just go. It's good. I went Saturday and I'm going to go again. Soon.

Bad feet. Tomorrow I go to the podiatrist (gods, I sound like a 90 yr old woman) for a checkup of my bad feet. I have had plantar fascitis in the past, but cleared it up with orthotics and exercise. I also tore a ligiment in my right foot almost 3 years ago and it still is not 100%. Anyway, at the present time, I am having some issues with my left foot. Don't know what or why, but it hurts. I was going to wait to go to the doc when I had lost 20 lbs, but then I got a card in the mail that it was time for a re-check. So, guess I'll go only having lost 12. I do have to say that since I've started exercising again, it doesn't seem to hurt as often. But if he offers a shot of cortisone, think I may take him up on it. I'd really like to get outside and walk while it is still nice enough to do so!

That's enough of my ramblings for today.

Best Week Ever

2008-07-19T10:06:00.001-05:00

So far....

I lost 4.4 pounds this week!! I finally passed the 10 pound mark!

Aren't those stars pretty???

Canola Oil Smoothie

2008-07-17T08:13:00.003-05:00

I love WW smoothies. They are my ice cream. They help me get in my fruits. I've never needed help with dairy because I love milk and would have a big, cold glass of it with every meal if I could, but I save it for the smoothie.

Last night I had one oil left. So, either had to eat it off the spoon or throw it in the smoothie. I put it in the smoothie. Couldn't even tell. I can't believe I have gone all this time not getting my oils in when it is really that easy.

My other oil? I made some really good beef and broccoli. I'm trying to get my freezer cleaned out, so took out a package of "mystery" meat. Turned out it was a bit of steak. Plus I had a seasoning packet mix that was on sale at the grocery store a few months ago, can't remember the brand, but I will buy it again.

Canola Oil Smoothies. I recommend them.

Fried Green Beans

2008-07-16T07:50:00.002-05:00

I really struggle with getting my healthy oils in. I love fried foods, so I find this very weird. This week, I am going to get them in everyday even if it means eating a teaspoon of canola oil on my way to bed! Many, many years ago during my first time with WW's, I did not eat any fat! I just made no sense to eat fat when you are trying to lose fat. Well, I lost 40 pounds and my gallbladder. Fat is important for your health!

So, I've been looking at the WW message boards and recipes to get some ideas. There are some really good ones on there! One was fried green beans. The post I read had a recipe that included some ingredients I didn't like, but love the whole idea of fried green beans. So here is what I did --- put 2 tsps of olive oil in a frying pan, put in a whole lot of minced garlic and then tossed in a package of fresh green beans (no I do not know what size!). Added some salt and pepper and let it cook until the beans were tender.

This was so good! Even the leftovers heated up nicely.

Anyway, 3 days now, and I'm only 1/2 tsp short of oil.

First "Surprise" Weigh-In

2008-07-14T09:27:00.002-05:00

Saturday I had my first weigh-in without the benefit of my home scale. I'm happy to report that the scale moved in the right direction!! Not very far, but I'm down another .4 lbs. It's good. I was out of town for a couple of days, I hadn't journalled for 2 weeks and fruits & veggies were nearly absent from my life!

Yesterday I wrote it all down, almost all the 8 HG's down...I was 1/2 tsp oil short. I did put 1 tsp of olive oil on my salad I had a lunch but only ended up eating about 1/2 of the salad. Do I get credit for the effort?

Saturday, I took a pound of buffalo burger patties over to a friend's house and she grilled them for me, so I have 3 of those left in the freezer. Yesterday I made a batch of sloppy joe and dinner was General Tso. So - I have my lunches covered for the week. Looking forward to lunch today with the General and it's only 9:30!

I missed the gym this morning. I went to bed with a pain in my digestive area and it kept me up most of the night. Don't know what was going on, but it's gone this morning. The only food I ate yesterday that was out of the norm was a bushel of cherries....well, not a bushel, but could have because they were sooooooo good!!

I really hope to lose 2 pounds this week. I really want to hit that 10 pound mark. It's taking me way too long!! (Not complaining - just wishing)

Been Gone Too Long

2008-07-11T14:58:00.002-05:00

I've been reminded that I do have a blog and it needs to be updated. So, here I am with nothing much to write about at all!

Made it through the trip to New Rockford. I did not eat crazy except for while I was driving. I don't know why, but when I'm driving, I MUST MUNCH! After I got home, Andy and I went to the newest scarf and barf...err I mean buffet....The Golden Corral. I started out with a big salad and then just tasted my way around the rest of the buffet. Wish I would have just taken my plates over to the dessert bar though. Man that looked yummy!!

So I get up Monday morning and stare at the scale. Should I check or should I not? There was much contemplation, but curiousity got the best of me and I hopped on. LO BATT flashes on the screen. Guess I wasn't supposed to know....So tomorrow's weigh in will be a complete surprise!

I've gone to the Y the last three mornings. Wednesday did the water aerobics class, yesterday I aquajogged with a friend and this morning we did some more aquajogging and I spent about 15 minutes with my flippers on. I'm pretty sure this is the first time this year I have gone 3 times in the same week. Heck, I have a couple months that I only went one time.

Good luck to Jeni!! She joined Weight Watchers this week! I'm so excited to be doing this with her!!

I Ate a Donut Today

2008-07-02T13:14:00.002-05:00

Confession is good for the soul. You know though, it really wasn't even all that good. But I was hungry and running late and it was there.

Week Six Weigh-In Results

2008-06-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

Happy to report --- Down 2 pounds for the week! Yeehaw!! Good results for a pretty decent week of eating right(ish) and exercising. I'm pleased.

Yesterday I got goodies in the mail. A box of stuff from The Body Shop - fun, smelly, girly stuff to pamper ME with and a DVD from Amazon....The DVD is Yoga: Just My Size. I love yoga but have never felt comfortable doing it in a class with real people at the Y. This is geared toward big girls so I'm hoping to learn some poses and get comfortable with them while I'm losing enough weight so I can feel good about going to classes again at the Y. Look for my review coming soon.

The upcoming week will be somewhat challenging. For the 4th, I will be going home....my hometown is having a 125th year anniversary. There will be a parade, lots of looking around, fireworks, hopefully seeing people I haven't seen for a long time, and food. I don't know what kind of food. It's hard to plan ahead when everything ahead is unknown. I'm planning on doing as much walking as my bad foot will allow, drinking lots of water and focusing on the real reason I'm going: people, places and memories that have a special meaning to me.

Another challenge for me will be this: I won't be here to weigh-in on Saturday morning. Note to self: This is not an excuse to eat anything you see this week. DO NOT FORGET THAT!

Well, I have a lunch date with my son....he is allegedly buying, so I won't order much. Maybe...

I need this for MY Fridge!!

2008-06-26T15:51:00.000-05:00

more cat pictures

School's Out! For Summer

2008-06-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

Last night I finished up my computerized accounting class. I love going to school. I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge and pursue my bachelor degree. However....working all day and then class at night, does not make it easy for Katrina to eat her fruits and vegies. Ah, poor me.

So, now that school is out, I am making my main focus for the next 7 weeks to follow the WW program to a tee! (and to not freak out if I don't - heehee!) I will get those Healthy Guidelines down to a habit!! I need a good habit.

I started out pretty good today....even took a vitamin! For lunch I walked over to the Capitol and had a reuben....it was yummy.....then, I looked up the points. SEVENTEEN!! ugh....Thank Gods for WPA! It's been recorded in the journal. Victory!

Tomorrow morning I have a gym date. I have time to run to the grocery store for fresh produce. I am planning on signing up with a personal trainer for 12 sessions right after I get back from my July 4th extravaganza.

Eat, Eat, and then Eat again

2008-06-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

I was doing so good with the journaling. Then Saturday and Sunday happened. I went to my Saturday morning WW meeting. I really tried to talk myself out of going because for no good reason I can come up with, my weight was up. I had journaled every day. I was within my points. I exercised 3 days - well, 4 if you count my teeny tiny walk I took to check out a walking trail near my house. Lots of things done right! What did I do not so right? hmmm, still missing those healthy guidelines! Water - close most days. Fruits and Vegies - hit and miss. Healthy Oils - hardly ever. Vitamin - never. Dairy - close most days.

Oh, and I'm pms-ing.

But really, who cares? It's a gain. It's a small gain. It's hardly even worth talking about and certainly not worth worrying about and over-analyzing to death. What really needs addressing is why I ate like I did this weekend.

I'm sure that Saturday probably would have worked out okay. I had a lot of WPA left so it would have been fine. Sunday...don't even know where to start. Sundays are a munchy day for me anyway. I don't know why, but Sundays I just want to nibble. All day long. This Sunday, no exception. Got up had a healthy breakfast and a plan for the day. Ten am rolls around, I have light hot dogs in the fridge and seem to think I need to eat one. So, I do. Noon rolls around and I've just taken 3 loaves of banana bread out of the oven. Ate a couple pieces of that. Noon-thirty and a loaf of regular bread comes out of the oven...had to taste that. With Butter, of course. It's one-thirty now and the kid and I are at the movie theater with a LARGE tub of buttered popcorn. WTF? I ordered it. How did those words come out of my mouth? And who kept shoving popcorn (that wasn't even good) in my mouth? argh.

Well, now it's dinner time and thoughts of skipping dinner are running through my head. But, I must have had my head on somewhat straight because I know that if I had skipped dinner, I would have probably eaten the rest of the banana bread before bed.

It's Monday now and I haven't eaten the best so far today, but it's all journaled.

I'll be okay. Really.

Father's Day Fare

2008-06-16T15:31:00.001-05:00

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For breakfast I made what I thought would be a great breakfast burrito. Boy was I wrong!! I ate half, tossed half. About an hour later I had toast. Lunch was some leftover rice with chicken, green pepper, onion and mushroom in it; and some really squeeky green beans. They tasted fine, but felt funny so only ate about half of them. Later I had a fart bar (not pictured because I'm too lazy right now) and later than that I had a Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Bliss Bar, which while it's not entirely blissful, is tasty. Dinner was fresh trout - well caught and frozen last Sunday - potatoes and California blend. Dessert was a fantabulous WW vanilla smoothie with fresh raspberries mixed in. Yummy. Points total for the day - 31.5. HG's - got them all except exercise and vitamin, but I'm not much of a vitamin taker. I should be, but not gonna stress about that.

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Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's. Even mine. Sorry I didn't call, but we really don't have the most comfortable conversations. And besides, I'm kinda pissed that you do actually call all your other children. Guess I'm just not worthy. But then I guess you were the one who told me no one would ever love me if I was fat. Wish I could stop believing that.

Yesterday's Weigh-In and Other Stuff

2008-06-15T19:13:00.000-05:00

I'm still seriously neglecting the blog....

But other than that, it's been a good week again! My weight is down - a whole .8 pounds. But I'm okay with that. I thought about being pissed about it, but that would be stupid. You see, after pushing away the negative thoughts, I remembered what I did right this week. Which lead to a whole discussion with myself about my entire life. All my life -- and that's a whopping 47 years to contemplate --- I have either been gaining weight or losing weight. I have NEVER maintained a weight for any significant amount of time. Am I happy when I'm gaining? No. Am I happy when I'm losing? Mostly. Sometimes I feel like I'm working hard with little result. Sometimes I'm mad because I don't understand why I can't be thin and beautiful with no effort like so many people I know. But most of the time. I just feel good. I love having more energy. I like loose pants. I like having to go buy new clothes because everything is too big. It's way more fun to go shopping for smaller clothes than it is for bigger ones! Duh! So if I have to spend the rest of my life either losing or gaining, which should I pick. Gee, no brainer....losing. I wanna be a loser!

So, would you like to know what I did right this week? Well, I'm continuing on my journalling every day streak. (This is day 26) I made it to the gym one whole time. I ate all my WPA - first time ever that it has been recorded. I'm sure I've done it in the past, but would just skip those "bad" days.

I'm still struggling with the healthy guidelines, but know that I will do it right! Even if it is just for one day. I'll try again tomorrow. Today was close, but I didn't get any exercise. I've been a lazy slug all day. And have enjoyed every minute of it!!

Oh and just so you don't have to go get a calculator - Grand total - Down 6.6 lbs. total.

Saturday Morning Weigh-in

2008-06-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

Down 1.6 this week for a total of 5.8! I'm pleased!

Today's meeting was about stopping negative thoughts. My brain runs on negative thoughts. Time to think positive and stop beating myself up. Time to get out there and enjoy this life! It's probably the only one I get!!

Goals for next week:

Keep on journalling
Get to the gym 3 times
Meet or exceed the 5 fruits and vegetables in the healthy guidelines EVERYDAY!
Be happy

I have to say I feel so much better. I'm not as tired, I seem to be thinking clearer and I'm smiling more. (Note to self: Please come back and read this statement often)

Blog Neglect

2008-06-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger this week, but I've been a good Weight Watcher! I have been stupid busy this week, had something going on every night except tonight. I hate when I get over-busy, it usually leads to bad eating, followed by guilt, followed by more bad eating, followed by missing a meeting....and on and on. BUT - this week I have still managed to stay within my points and have journaled everything! That makes 17 days in a row of journaling! I think that may just be a record!

I'm still struggling with those healthy guidelines. I've got water down. Really have trouble with the healthly oils.

Tomorrow morning, I WILL go weigh in. Also, I've been having fun with this blog so will get back to my picture taking and posting this weekend.

Rainy Days and Mondays

2008-06-02T23:10:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Special K with Red Berries. Lunch - Turkey Breast and Ham sub from Subway. Dinner - ate on the run in the car....Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich and half an order of fries (not pictured)
Snack - Chocolate Smoothie with banana.

Total points for the day - 31.5. Still struggling with the Healthy guidelines. Argh.

Weekend Update

2008-06-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

I'm way behind....so will just sum up the last 4 days in one little post.

Thursday - 31 total points - All my f&v, all my water!!!

Friday - 33 total points - 3 f&v, 3 waters...ugh not so good! Had a very fun day, though! My SIL and niece were in town. We went to the summer reading kickoff at the capitol and the zoo. Lunch was at Red Lobster (only 1 bisquit!) and "dinner" was a small coconut ice cream at Coldstone Creamery that only had 19.6 grams of fat. Ugh!! 9 points for that....but yum!

Saturday - 43.5 total points - 4 f&v, all my water. Used some WPA on a really tasty steak. So worth it.

Sunday - 31.5 total points - 4 f&v, all my water. Tried something new - tuna steak. I'd never had that before and it was on sale. I cooked a 7.5 ounce steak and ate about half of it. I was stuffed! Hopefully, it will be good as leftovers. I will make it again.

And the best of all ---- WEIGH-IN RESULTS from Saturday ---- Down 3.2!!! woo hoo!

Dia Ocho

2008-05-28T23:31:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Egg McMuffin. Lunch - Leftover General Tso, vegies and rice. Dinner - hamburger, oven fries, broccoli, and corn.

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Snacks - "fart" bar & WW chocolate smoothie with banana.

Total points for the day - 30!!! Got all my vegies and drank all my water! I even ate both of my healthy oils!

Seven Days makes One Week

2008-05-27T23:19:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Oatmeal and milk. Lunch - Leftover General Tso's & rice. Dinner - Cheeseburger Happy Meal. I only ate 1/2 the fries and got a toy!

__ Snacks - Dilly Bar & Skinny Cow

Total points for day - 29. Not a good day though. I didn't eat any fruit and only a tiny bit of vegies. I did not get all my water drank, didn't get both of my milks, only 1 of my healthy oils and no exercise. I did take my vitamin.

When I started this blog, the weigher at my meeting had challenged me to journal for 3 days. Well, I did that and now have made it a full week. The next three day challenge (set forth by me) is to eat 5 fruit/vegie servings and drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. I'll work on the others next week. Really, I will!!

Day Six (I need new titles - these suck)

2008-05-27T11:02:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Special K Red Berries, toast with s/f jelly. Lunch - My son and I went to Taco Bell, I had two softshells - didn't want to explain this blog, he already thinks I'm nuts - so not pictured. Dinner - General Tso's Chicken - WW variety. Recipe here. Note that I have added half a bag of stir fry vegies.

Snacks - Apple with ff/sf caramel sauce and a WW chocolate smoothie with banana.

Total points for the day - 31.5

Day Five

2008-05-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Special K with Red Berries (yes, I really like it). Lunch - (not pictured) Movie theatre popcorn with NO butter. Dinner - Salmon, roasted potatoes, onions & carrots, and salad with ranch.

Snack - Skinny cow chocolate ice cream sandwich.

Points for the day - 30.5. The movie - Prince Caspian - is good. I recommend it.

Day Four - Saturday!!!

2008-05-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Special K Red Berries with banana. Lunch - turkey sausage, sauerkraut and yes that is homemade bread. Dinner - T-bone steak, hash browns and broccoli.

Snack - Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich.

Total points for the day 25.5, too low. I was anticipating the steak to be more points. But it was tasty!!!

Weigh In Day!

2008-05-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

Saturday is the day I go to Weight Watcher meetings. I have to confess that I re-joined WW way back in April, but have had a really tough time getting started. I'd list the excuses, but we've all heard them before.

So, after 3 days of buckling down, journaling, eating almost right....I lost 1 pound. It's a start.

Day Three - Viva Mexico?

2008-05-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - McDonald's Breakfast Burrito. Lunch - Taco John's tacos. Dinner - Taco Salad at home.

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Snacks - Cherry Dilly Bar - got so excited I forgot to take a picture! And a WW smoothie with banana.

Not enough fruits and vegies for the day!!! That happens when I eat out too much! Points for the day - 32.5

Day Two

2008-05-23T09:14:00.000-05:00

Breakfast: Special K with Red Berries & Milk. Lunch: Chicken breast and Pork 'n Beans. Dinner: turkey sausage, potato, sauerkraut, and mixed vegies.

Afternoon Snack: apple with ff/sf caramel sauce. Evening Snack: WW chocolate smoothie with banana.

Total points for the day - 27.5

Exercise: 45 minutes aqua jogging.

Another successful day - wow - two in a row!!

Day One

2008-05-22T07:52:00.000-05:00

Breakfast: Turkey sausage & egg. Lunch: Taco Salad. Dinner: Chicken Breast; roasted potatoes, carrots & onions; green beans.

Afternoon snack: banana. Evening snack: WW orange smoothie with pineapple.

Total points for the day: 28

Exercise for the day: 45 minute water aerobics class

What is This All About?

2008-05-21T08:36:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to lose weight. I'm not having good luck. Maybe if I really "watch" what I eat, I'll do better.

Stop by to see what I eat. And hopefully, what I lose.