Four more pounds gone for a total of 51 in the past 2 years or so. Gee, I can live like this!

Love vegetables.

Eat lots of eggs.

I was literally shocked upon going to Dr. Stoltz for an appointment last week and finding I weighted several pounds less than I had thought fully clothed!  So I continue on the 4 Hour Body!  Staying away from eating things that are white and drinking no calories!  Except of course once a week when I have anything I want. 

Love apple pie!

Usually I make a dessert that day and have potatoes or mac and cheese.  It has become second nature to me now.  Not a struggle at all.  I continue on happily!

2 more pounds are GONE! Talk about cheering me up!

Gosh it has been a hard few months.  And, You can see from my posting that we do quite often eat REAL food.  So I can tell you with great certainty I am thrilled to see I have lost 2 more pounds during very trying sad times.  But I attribute this to the "good" habits I have formed that save me in times when I veer off the track a bit.

One is to drink no calories.  I find this quite easy now although it was not in the beginning as I was raised on and love "sweet tea".  I do not use any artificial sweetener at all ever because I do not believe in artificial, or chemical stuff.  Seems like there is too often a back story to them somewhere down the road.

I really have greatly reduced my habit of consumption of white stuff.  But I do not totally deny myself.

I have made progress in consuming more fresh and raw fruits and vegetables as well as cooked.

We eat more varieties of protein weekly.  More fish especially.

I do eat everything I want on my "free" day but find it is less a big deal as time goes by.  Fewer cravings and so forth.

It is OK with me to do this, what may appear to others as too slow but really steady program.

Now total 47 ponds gone gone gone.

15 More Pounds Down in the Slow Carb or 4-Hour Body Diet, Now a Total Loss of a Glorious 45 lbs.

Eggs and Tomatoes

It has been tough going lately but I was very happy this morning when I weighed and say more pounds gone without my even thinking about it or making any special efforts.  Perhaps I have just made piece with what has come to work for me?  I am happy if that is the case!  The tough going has nothing to do with eating but with the happenings in life to those we love.  But that being said it has kept me from the normal flow of things.  Here is the link explaining the program as it started.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/slow-carb-diet-how-to-lose-20-pounds-in.html

Starting and stopping when I had lost interest I lost 30 pounds and never gained it back.  Recently I started up again and as of today have lost an additional 15 pounds so that is a total loss of 45 glorious pounds!  You may recall the essence of losing the weight is that I have eminent knee surgery in the future and I am trying to make this easier on ME.

Tomatoes and Eggs

The photo above is a tribute to my standby breakfast lately,  Eggs and tomatoes, tomatoes and eggs.  A lot of protein and a few calories.  Lest I be less than candid let me add that I do NOT spare the butter.  Yes, I do cook with pure and natural butter, especially when making eggs!

Scrambled eggs with asparagus and zucchini.

I find that eating 3-4 eggs depending on their size is a great filler and the protein carries me well into the day.  The tomatoes are because I love them!  I also rotate with adding sauteed shitake mushrooms and green onions to scrambled eggs.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/09/day-9-food-and-thoughts-on-diet-or-how.html

I very very rarely drink any calories sticking to plain (reverse osmosis) filtered ice water for the past three years,  The exception to this is if we happen to eat out I will often order a plain with sugar Coke rather than drink the chemicals in the water I feel exist here.  I do NOT consume any artificial sweeteners or chemicals EVER if I can help it. 

Some of the easy changes I attribute the weight loss are I cook chili with no pasta but make it on the side with the shredded cheese for those who prefer it that way.  I never have to any big extent. 

I use a lot of onions and turnips and cut down on potatoes in soups and stews, which is delicious!  When I just have to have a piece of toast with butter I make rye bread toast which I love instead of white or wheat.

When you have the FREE day to enjoy anything you have a craving for or just want it makes life good.  For me, it is to the point now I don't even change much on the free day with the exception of adding dessert and potatoes to Sunday Dinner.  I also fudge a little buy running my FREE time from Saturday night to Sunday night.  This way if we happen to go out on Saturday night I can do what I want.  Often I stay on the program but I like to think I have the option.

Oven zucchini fries with horseradish sour cream sauce.

Truthfully we have discovered some new and delicious foods we truly love and I am excited to hand in there!  Here are the links to outstanding zucchini  recipes.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/08/zucchini-recipies-i-adore-oven-zucchini.html

Zucchini spaghetti can either be microwaved with a little olive oil or dropped into salted boiling water 2-3 minutes depending on what you prefer.

You do need a mandolin to shred the zucchini into spaghetti like strands but it is well worth it!  The tender crisp and slightly sweet zucchini with the shiricha seasoned sauteed shrimp is killer good.

Topping zucchini shreds with sauteed shrimp in hot sauce is our favorite!

Many nights we have a green salad or Cole slaw with meat or fish which is an easy supper.  This has worked well and not caused any issues with the blood thinning medication Brian is on.  I just limit the greens to one cup and load in the other vegetables!

We also enjoy a lot of soups for suppers loaded up with vegetables, barley, mushrooms, and more so the longer I concentrate on this life style as they say the easier it gets.  Just saying......

Recently I went to the doctor with my husband and a new person introduced herself as the patient advocate.  Being a devotee of cynicism I jumped to the conclusion it was another step of the governments sticking it's nose in our business.  This still may be a correct case but she had screened Brian and found him to be  "pre" diabetic.  In the spiel that commenced and in her questioning it sounded like we have in the adjusting of our diet already done for the most part what she was recommending to avoid it's occurrence. 

Hope this encourages folks to make their diet work for them.  It seems to be working for us.

We've had a White Christmas & Happy New Years to all 2013.

Sledding on our front hill the morning after Christmas.

Hello there to everyone.  We have returned with colds and coughs and are laying about like old dogs!  We had a lovely Christmas and New Years with family and friends and hope you did too.  Given the intensity with travel and company I have not devoted a bit of attention to anything except whatever has been at hand.

The schedule has been hectic with everyone coming and going.  I do believe that everyone had a Blessed Christmas season.  We got to visit with Jacob at the Burress Christmas held this year at my sister Linda's home.  He continues to make slow but definite progress and we see miracles happen and blessings continue as our prayers are answered in the Lord's time.  Thank you for your continued prayers for his healing.

I am going to take another day to try and play catch up and get to feeling better than it will be cranking up the sewing machine and preparing "slow carb" meals as I have decided to repeat my diet of last year.  I have only gained back 3-4 pounds of the 35 I lost so I thought a 10-12 week diet each New Year might be a good thing to continue.

Again Happy New Year to you all and thank you for looking in on this blog.  I look forward to your comments and e-mails in the coming year.

Diane

Summer Ice

All weekend I have been making summer ice.  By that I mean, I rinse out the old ice cube trays and chunk up what ever fruit is here into the sections of the trays.  Fill with water and stack them in the freezer section of the refrigerator.

Since I no longer drink any calories, this is a way I feel way less deprived.  It flavors the water, boosts my spirits, and tastes good when you get to the bottom of the glass.

You certainly can use it with other beverages besides mine. water.  This would be lovely with tea, lemonade, mixed drinks....just anything.  I expect it would be lovely used with all that new finagled fizzy water out there these days too.  Give it a try!

Pictured is blackberries with slivers of lemon and orange but I have made today strawberries and grapes!

The sky is the limit with this one.  I am thinking freezing cubes of cucumbers and radishes sounds sound just as refreshing.

Beef Steak and Onions What a Soup!!!

On 10/ 26/11 I gave a recipe for Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Soup that we thought was delicious and Brian had said at the time it was a "do again"!!!  LITTLE DID HE KNOW.....it had made enough to freeze 1 1/2 quarts.......and that is just what I did.

Yesterday I spent washing down the walls and baseboards and cabinets in my kitchen and had no desire to cook.  I defrosted instead!!

Sunday for dinner I had made Roast Beef Au Jus.  Recipe posted on 5/23/10, Roast Beef Au Jus and on 10/11/10 Roast Beef on Swiss,  There was a pint of thinly sliced lean and tender beef and meat juices that I julienned and added to the defrosted onion soup.

What a meal!  It was even better than I had thought it might be.  In the future I will use any leftover cooked steak or roast by slicing it ultra thin and freezing it for later use in this wonderful onion soup.

Then if you REALLY want to hit it out of the park top the steaming soup with shredded cheese of your choice.   I used extra sharp cheddar but I will be try crumbled Maytag blue for sure!! 

Yield 4 servings.  NOTE:  These are challenging times for a lot of us and it is wise to not waste under any circumstances. Using your freezer to save and use your good ingredients is truly a wise and useful habit to cultivate.  My Grandma Neukan set a wonderful example for me.  I am so glad she did!!

Spicy Ham and Beans with Smoked Sausage and Cottage Cheese!!

We ALWAYS top our beans with cottage cheese!!

Tonight the temperature is dropping to 28 degrees here in southern Indiana.  Our first freeze which means this afternoon I will be hauling in all of those dog gone house plants that I can't kill.  Ha ha...

If you have been with me before in the fall you know how I hate this day.  I have WAY too many house plants and I can't bear to kill or toss them but I really don't have enough room for them as many of them are soooo big. I have had some of them for 20+ years, if you can believe that!!

So I need an easy supper for my hubby with a cold.  Something to warm and comfort him.  Ham and beans is my call for today.  Us older folks have grown up with ham and beans and it was very common for our Mother's to have had beans at supper time.

My Dad loved a meal of navy bean, cottage cheese, and fried potatoes with bacon on the side.

Today I have started a pot to share with my son Mike who will be by this evening to pick up his portion of my potion.

Ingredients:

2 C. each dried pinto, navy, and great northern beans, soak in water to cover well over night.

I like this combination because the navy beans cook down and thicken the soup,  the great northern's maintain their shape and do not, and the pintos have a wonderful flavor and add to the overall taste of my concoction.

Rinse the beans again and drain.  Add then to a large heavy bottomed kettle.

8 C. chicken broth (can use water and bouillon cubes)
2 bay leaves
2 dried hot peppers
2 onions chopped
5 cloves of garlic minced
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
5-6 Oz. ham

16 Oz. smoked sausage cut into spoon sized slices
2 diced potatoes
1diced carrot

Add the broth and seasonings and ham to the beans and mix together.  Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to medium.  Watch this pot as it may boil some of the liquid away and then you will need to add additional water.  Keep about 1/2" over the top of the beans at all times.  Cook for about an hour then reduce the heat further and slow simmer or transfer to a slow cooker to simmer the rest of the day.

About 45 minutes prior to serving add the diced potato, carrot, and slices of the smoked sausage to the soup and finish cooking over low heat .

Serve pipping hot in bowls with a generous dollop of cottage cheese in the center.

Tonic for Healing Gets a Kiwi Addition

Deep purple beets, red and green apples, green celery with the leaves, orange carrots, parsley, and green kiwi fruits make a rainbow of nutrition in this healing tonic.

The punies have struck at our house!! Two nights ago my husband came home with a cough,  congestion, and a aching in his lower abdomen.  Needless to say he was not a happy husband.

The next morning I dusted off the juice extractor and got busy.  As you may know from past posts my favorite healing potion is a combination consisting of:

Yields 2.

2 apples
5-6 carrots
5-6 stalks of celery
1 beet
1/4 bunch of parsley

Today I have added:
2 kiwi
2 apples more

The kiwi is added because I am looking for additional sweetness and the apples because the first two were red skinned and the last 2 were green skinned.  I really am not sure of the specific gains, but I would think anything you add broadens the nutritional base.

So, the past 2 mornings we have enjoyed this lovely beverage and Brian is feeling better.  I am thinking I will keep it up.  My problem becomes one of laziness.  I grow tired of scrubbing and cleaning up the mess.  Today though I stay well intended.

Bottoms up!!

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Soup

A variety of both onions and mushrooms make for a flavorful soup.

This recipe is adapted from one found in a local cookbook put out by the Evansville Junior League titled, Once Upon a Time.

Bermuda Onions and Sweet Yellow Onions Make for a Wonderful Combination.

It is a great soup of tempting ingredients and can be further enhanced by adding thin slices of cooked steak or roast beef for a really hearty main course dish.  Either way pair it with a side salad and hot crusty bread and you will have a very enjoyable meal.

Ingredients:

1 T. butter
1 1/2 pounds onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 T. butter
1 1/2 pounds of assorted Asian mushrooms, stemmed, halved, and cut into spoon sized portions
3 T. brandy
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
2 quarts of beef stock
1 C. dry white wine
4-5  beef bouillon cubes, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Melt 1 T. butter in the bottom of a heavy bottomed soup kettle over medium high heat.  Add the onions and stir fry for 8 minutes until they are soft.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 20 minutes until they are caramelized.  Stir occasionally.  Remove the onions to a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt 2 T. butter in the same pan and add the mushrooms over medium high heat.  Saute about 12 minutes until they are tender.  Add the brandy and garlic.  Stir for a few seconds.  Add in the onion mixture, beef stock, and wine.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low.  Simmer about 45 minutes until everything is very tender.  Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and add beef bouillon cubes to fortify if needed.

Serve pipping hot in large bowls with crackers or crusty bread for those who are not dieting.  Plain  and unadorned for those who are.  Yields 6 servings.

Woe is me...Gained 2 pounds!!!!!

Well fooey,  I have thought better of this post and am over it.  No use or sense in getting all cranked up about this and acting a fool.  Which I admit to just having done.  Better to settle back and stay steady.
Sorry about this unseemly outburst.........10/26/11

This is exactly why I had vowed not to weigh until the week before Christmas.  DRAMA!! Pain, disappointment, embarrassment all because I stepped on the scales.  NO, all because I gained 2 pounds.  I, Me, I caused it.

I did not eat eggs on Sunday.  Not a one, and that is the big rule I broke, then I did not drink any grapefruit juice after I did eat.  Then there was the cheese in last nights dinner dish.  There you go.  Confession of all my transgressions.

So this morning it was 3 organic eggs and turkey bacon plus 2 cups of black coffee.  Back on track we go.

Lunch will be veggies and some kind of beans and supper a chef salad with peas, hard boiled eggs, and diced cold meat of some kind.

BETTER DAYS ARE AHEAD.

Mexican -Style Eggplant Lasagna

I am always looking for recipes that I can make as close to slow carb friendly as I can.  This one is helped by substituting grilled eggplant slices for lasagna noodles as the original recipe used.  My inspiration came from a copy of "Maturity Journal" a local newsprint magazine for old fogies my husband picks up and brings home. ( Can't imagine why???)

This was a really BIG HIT and I will make it for the whole family at a gathering or for a special occasion.  I feel certain they will all like it as much as we did.

Well anyway I picked up the latest issue and a gal named Jancey Smith writes The Cooking corner and she had made Mexican Lasagna and many of the ingredients are the staples of my new diet;  meat, beans, and vegetables, cottage cheese and spices.  The challenges are the pasta,  the cheese, and the sour cream.  Low fat cottage cheese will work and I am grilling slices of eggplant to replace the noodles.  I am going to compromise and use only half of the cheese and sour cream called for and go with it.  After all it is not a perfect world and I am still close to compliance.  A side of salad it is dinner!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 can 16 oz. re fried beans
1 can 15.5 oz. hot chili beans
1 can 14.5 oz. Mexican diced tomatoes
1 jar hot salsa
1 can 4 oz. diced green chilies
1 envelope of taco seasoning ( or I use 2 T. of my own mix)
1 t. cumin
1 1/4 C. pepper jack cheese grated
1 1/4 C. Colby jack cheese grated (omit or reduce quantity to half as desired)
3/4 C. cottage cheese
1 1/4 C. sour cream (reduce to half of the amount if desired)
1 T. cilantro
2 medium eggplants sliced 1//4 " thick, salted and drained for 30 minutes (or 9 lasagna noodles)
vegetable oil

Heat grill pan or cast iron skillet to hot.  Drizzle vegetable oil over eggplant slices and grill them until browned and softened.  Set them aside.

Butter 9 X 13" lasagna pan well and set aside.  preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a large heavy bottomed pan brown the ground beef with the salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.  Drain if there is excess liquid on the meat.

Stir in the beans, tomatoes, salsa, chilies, and spices, (except for cilantro).  Set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the shredded cheeses together and set about 1 cup aside in the refrigerator for the topping.  Add the cottage cheese to the remaining cheese in the bowl.  Mix in 3/4 C. sour cream and the cilantro.

Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Top with a layer of eggplant, then spread on 1/3 of the cheese mixture.  Add another layer of meat sauce and repeat layers ending with meat sauce.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Uncover and spread or dollop sour cream on top and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.  Return to the oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted.  Remove from the oven and let stand 20 minutes before serving.   Yield 12 servings.

This recipe is ideal for leftover lunches or serving a second time around as it reheats and freezes well.

Bok Choy and Chicken Chow Mein AND I've Lost 30 Pounds Whoopee!

Bok Choy and Chicken Chow Mein

Whoopee as of today I have lost 30 pounds!!!  I am certainly glad I love vegetables.  Yesterday I decided to make Chow Mien but could not find fresh bean sprouts at the grocery so I just used Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage) instead.

I was so thrilled when I weighed I told my best friend Diane that I could probably stay on this forever because the strain is lifted weekly on the binge day.  There is strain and for me it starts about Thursday evening.  It is late evening and I want SOMETHING.  I don't particularly know what but something.  The knowledge I can have whatever on Sunday helps so much.  Interestingly enough I don't go all that crazy on Sunday but it is a relief to the system!!

So here was how I made the Chow Mien:

6 chicken thighs, boned, skinned, and diced
4 stalks of celery dices
1 large onion large dice
1 carrot shredded
1 medium head of Bok Choy, washed and sliced in 3/4" pieces
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 can of bambo shoots, drained
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 C. chicken stock
1/4 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. cornstarch
black pepper to taste
2 T. peanut, coconut, or macadamia nut oil for stir fry

Prepared rice or Chow Mien noodles if desired.

Heat wok and add oil.  Stir fry chicken and season with pepper.  When the chicken has browned push it to the side and add the celery and onions and fry for 2-3 additional minutes.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to stir fry until tender crisp.

Using a small bowl combine the chicken broth, soy sauce and stir.  Mix the cornstarch in the liquid stirring until completely dissolved.  Add to the vegetables in the wok all at once stirring until it has thickened.  Taste and correct seasonings if needed.  Serve hot alone or over rice or noodles and pass additional soy sauce at the table.  Yields 4 generous servings.



.

Spicy Vegetable Beef Soup

Spicy Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup.

It is 40 some degrees, raining, cold, gloomy and I am tired from my trip to Indianapolis. Nothing sounds better to me than a steaming pot of vegetable beef soup. There are still fresh tomatoes on our vines and a bumper crop of hot peppers. So I am putting on a jacket and heading out to the garden. On the way I will go by the deep freeze and pull out meat to thaw in the microwave. I will be set. Our son Mike and his oldest girl Emily Love vegetable soup. His wife Julie likes it too but I am unsure about Kate. At any rate I will give them half of what I make and they will be pleased. They all work and go to school so it makes evening nice for them to have a kettle of shared soup.

Our whole family loves homemade vegetable beef soup chocked full of tender chunks of beef and spices for full flavor. To make this soup I used 2 hot red peppers from our garden, 5 plump cloves of fresh garlic, 2 large onions and lots of fresh and frozen vegetables.

I have lost 25 pounds now on "THE DIET" so to stay true to it I substituted diced turnips for potato and added a can of kidney beans.

The soup was terrific because my husband Brian requested it again tomorrow for supper!! That is a good pot of soup when they take seconds and want to have it again the next night for supper!!

NOTE: This soup is an all day project so start early or a day ahead and finish the second day.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds chuck roast
1 onion quartered
2 stalks celery broken
2 carrots broken
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
garlic powder

12 fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded
1 large can tomatoes
1 quart beef stock
1 quart green beans
1 - 1 1/2 C. diced turnips
2 C. diced carrots
4 C. shredded cabbage
2 C. diced onion
1 C. diced celery
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 chili pepper stemmed and seeded
1 C. sweet corn
1 C. peas
1 can kidney beans drained
1 C. okra sliced
1 chunk of Parmesan cheese 2" x 2" x 1"
2-3 C. water
broth from roast
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and butter a heavy butch oven or casserole. Sprinkle the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides and place in the bottom of the pan. Rinse the celery, carrots, and onion well and break the celery and carrots into pieces. Quarter the onions. Place these root vegetables into the pan around the beef and add the bay leaf. It is not necessary to peel the onion as the skins add to the flavor and color but will be discarded.

Roast for 2-2 1/2 hours until tender. Cover the last half of the time. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile prepare the tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water for a couple of minutes then in ice water to slip off the skins. Core them and I like to run my thumb down each segment and slide out some of the seeds to discard.

Place the fresh tomatoes and the can of tomatoes with the beef broth in a large soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, Parmesan cheese, and enough water to come at least half way up the vegetables. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover. The cheese will dissolve and flavor the soup.

Remove the beef from the cooled pan and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Remove all of the fat or membrane and discard. Strain the vegetables and bay leaf from the meat juices and discard them. Add the beef and the broth to the soup and stir.

Add the salt, pepper, and sugar stirring well to blend and adjusting the seasoning to you taste.

Simmer until all of the vegetables are tender and serve pipping hot in large bowls with crusty bread or crackers as desired. Yield 2 gallons of soup.

Minus 23.5 Pounds in Five Weeks on The Four Hour Diet

A Gift from my Best Friend.

Well I fudged. I said I wasn't going to weigh until the week before Christmas. That was truly my intent and I still feel the same way about all of the drama and negativity that can go with weighing all of the time.

But, to tell you the truth it had become so very hard to get up each morning and choke down eggs!!!

And, I like eggs. I hate monotony. Variety is the spice of my cooking and of my diet.  I love variety. So anyway by Thursday every week I have been becoming increasingly more and more miserable. Dreading the next mornings eggs. 

Then on Thursday I would start craving a piece of bread, a sandwich, toast. Simple little things. Beverages don't bother me. I can drink unsweetened tea, coffee, and ice water the rest of my life. Piece of cake. (Pun Intended.)

I am good with vegetables. I like them all. We are good on meat too. It is the lack of being able to combine them into delectable concoctions of melty cheese and pasta or potatoes and cream or butter.

Oh Mama Mia!! (And there is not a drop of Italian blood in my body.)

Well anyway I was to the point of thinking I might need to change strategy. But them I thought. I felt like I was loosing weight. My wedding ring has become quite loose......or is it the cooler weather?? 

Am I fooling myself? And Brian did say the other night he could tell my rear end was smaller. Or was he just blowing?? Trying to be nice and his way of offering encouragement??

So today I decided I would weigh and if I have made good progress I will continue undaunted. Had there been little or no progress I would change tactics.

The telling of the tale is I am quite happy with 23.5 pounds at the end of 5 weeks!! I will be eating my eggs each morning and looking to come up with more good recipes that are compatible with the Slow Carb life on the 4 hour Diet. 

Red Day Lily from our Garden.

AND I WILL REALLY REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT ONCE A WEEK BINGE DAY!!

White Chili the Slow Carb Way

Adapt as a slow carb dish by omitting the sour cream or dress it up with shredded cheese..

The first time I ever enjoyed White Chili David Belt made it and brought it to work and treated all of us to this wonderful concoction!! It was delicious and I loved it. When I made it at home Brian didn't like the cloves so I have since opted to seriously reduce the amount of ground cloves I use and add more to mine at the table. 

David's recipe had more cheese and yummy things than this recipe and was made with cubed chicken. This version is a skinned down adaptation made with ground turkey that I can enjoy on this diet I have chosen to "treat " myself with.

This version I  further adapted from Mr. Sunday's Soups, by Lorraine Wallace.

Ingredients:

1 pound white dry beans, soak overnight in water to cover
1 1/2 Qt. chicken broth
1-2 jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
1-2 bay leaves
1 T. olive oil
2 lbs. ground turkey
1 lg. onion diced
3/4 t. kosher salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
5 garlic cloves diced fine
2 T. chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground cloves

Garnishes if desired:

sour cream
grated mild cheddar
scallions, finely chopped
rough chop cilantro

Drain the beans and pick over them discarding any discolored beans or debris.

Using a large heavy bottomed pan or Dutch Oven, combine the broth and the drained and rinsed beans with the bay leaf and jalapeno pepper. The liquid should cover the beans about 1 1/2"; add a little water if necessary. Bring to a boil then reduce to very low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hours until the beans are tender. Discard the bay leaves.

Transfer 1 C. of the beans to a blender or food processor and add a little cooking liquid. Process until smooth, then stir the pureed beans back into the whole beans then set aside.

Place a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Cook the turkey stirring to break up the meat for about 10 minutes. Add the onion, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring another 10 minutes

Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cloves and cook stirring another 2 minutes. Stir this mixture into the beans and place the pot over medium heat. Bring to a very slow simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.

A bowl of piping hot White Chili is an excellent fall dish at our house.

Ladle the chili into large shallow bowls and top with sour cream and shredded cheese if desired. Scatter scallions and cilantro as a finishing touch and serve immediately.

Note:  I still have David's recipe and enjoy it while not dieting!! I am certain to share it with you as time goes by.

Asparagus and Eggs make for a Delightful Breakfast

I am eating my eggs each day and it is a challenge to find new ways to make them more palatable and interesting. I love asparagus and had never tried them with eggs until today. YUM MO. They were great.

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch of fresh asparagus (about 7-8 stalks)
1-2 T. Macadamia Nut Oil (or oil of your choice)
sprinkling of Kosher salt
sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper

4 eggs
1 T. Macadamia Nut Oil (or oil of your choice)
Sprinkling of hot sauce
salt
pepper
1 t. soft butter (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Break off the bottoms of the Asparagus and discard. I like to peel the stalks a bit to knock off the scales but this is optional. Wash the stalks under the tap and shake the excess water off.

Toss them in a baking tray and drizzle them with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss them a bit to be sure they are well coated.

Roast in the oven for15-20 minutes until they are tender crisp but cooked. 

If you are not dieting this is a great place to add a bit of cheese!! Take them out 5 minutes or so before they are done and sprinkle with Parmesan or other choice of shredded cheese. Return them to the oven until the cheese is melted and the asparagus is done.

Heat a nonstick skillet and splash with a bit of oil and 1/2 t. of the butter. Beat the eggs well with a fork and add the hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Pour into the warm skillet and cook over low heat stirring constantly until they are done to your liking. Stir in the additional 1/2 t. of butter at the end when the eggs are done to help to stop them cooking. 

Arrange the eggs over the stalks of asparagus on a warn plate and serve with a mug of steaming hot coffee for a great start to your morning.......Yield 1 or 2 servings, depending on appetites.  60mg protein (15 per egg).

Beans and Greens a Slow Carb Soup Idea.

The sprinkle of cheese is optional.

I am seriously thinking homemade bread and cheesecake for Sunday (binge day) and it is only Tuesday!!

But for now I am happy with the lunch dish I just enjoyed. It is a cool day and I love soups and those types of things. Last week I enjoyed split pea with ham and turnips and in that vein I have made a bean soup combined with greens and it is quite tasty.

I am calling it Beans and Greens and it is a combination with baby lima beans, bacon, and Swiss chard.

Ingredients:

2 C. dried baby Lima beans (or any other dried bean would work fine)
2 Qt. homemade chicken stock (or low sodium store bought stock)
1 pound of bacon diced and fried crisp, drain grease and discard
1 lg. chopped onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh Swiss chard (remove stems and cut leaves into 1/2" strips)

Parmesan cheese for garnish *optional

Soak beans in water to cover plus 2" overnight. Rinse well and discard any bad beans.

Cover with 1 1/2 Qt. chicken stock, add onion, garlic, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and taste for seasoning and to see if beans are done. Check occasionally and add additional stock as needed. Cooking times vary according to age, type, and dryness of the beans. 

I used beautiful Rainbow Chard.

Stir in the Swiss chard and cook a few minutes until it has wilted.

Add the crumbled bacon just before serving and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese if desired.   I doubt it is permissible on the diet but my husband  loves any kind of cheese on his soup.

Ham and Split Pea Soup takes the chill off our first really cool evening.

Ham and Split Pea Soup with Carrots and Turnips.

A few minutes ago I noticed the bright orange leaves of autumn have started appearing on the big old tree in front of the picture window in my living room. That tree turns early but it is indeed an omen of things to come. A chilly breeze hit me as I sat with my husband watching the evening news. i closed the front door and the kitchen window and thought how pleased I was that I had started a pot of hearty pea soup for this evenings dinner.

It had occurred to me that I cannot have potatoes as are commonly added to this soup because of my diet. I remembered that a long time ago turnips and peas were cooked together as commonly as are peas and carrots today. I thought it a pleasing idea to substitute the turnips and see how that would work out. Actually it was terrific and I will probably fix them together again.

Here are the ingredients I used;

2 qt. chicken stock
1 lb. green dried split peas
1 C. diced ham
1 smoked ham hock
3 peeled and diced turnips
4 peeled and diced carrots
3 ribs of celery diced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 whole red chili pepper
salt to taste
2 T. oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Simmer the ham hock in 1 quart of chicken stock for 1 1/2 hours early in the day. Remove the hock and retrieve any ham on it and save it to add back to the soup. Discard the bones and rind.

Add the oil to the bottom of a large soup kettle with a heavy bottom and cook the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and turnips for about 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the stock from the hock and the additional quart and simmer the vegetables over low heat.

Add the rinsed and clean split peas, the ham, the whole chili pepper and the salt and pepper to taste.

Cook over low heat for about an hour and fifteen minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve pipping hot in soup mugs. Serve with crisp crackers or crusty bread if desired.  Yield 3 quarts.

Chicken Chorizo "No Potato" Hash and it is GOOD!!!!

Chicken Chorizo "No Potato" Hash

When I told my oldest son about the diet I had started he got on the Internet and found a DELICIOUS main dish at http://aspicyperspective.com which he prepared when I visited last weekend and was it ever good!! 

This recipe is indeed a find if you like you food a little spicy and full of tender crisp veggies which results in a "dynamite dish"!! His version was so good neither of us would have ever thought of it as diet food. I thought I would devote a new section to really terrific "slow carb" dishes we try and like.

This one is REALLY good. It goes like this.

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion diced
1/2 of a bunch of cilantro chopped
4 medium zucchini cut into 1/3 " cubes
1 red pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
8 oz. Mexican Chorizo sausage
2 C. cooked chicken shredded or chopped
1 T. oil
salt and black pepper to taste.

Heat a large skillet over medium -high heat. Brown the crumbled chorizo for 2-3 minutes until browned. Add the chicken and heat until it is warmed through. Remove the meat and set it aside.

Add the onions to the skillet and saute for 1 minute, add the zucchini and red pepper and an additional 1 T. of oil if needed. Saute for 2-3 minutes. The vegetables should be just cooked and NOT mushy. 

Salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro.  Serve pipping hot and you have a wonderful main dish.

If you don't care for cilantro try parsley instead or pass the cilantro on the side  if you have a mixed crowd as we do (Brian doesn't like a lot on his,)  Everyone can flavor the dish to suit themselves.   This dish will for sure be a "do again" at our house,  diet or not.

Day 9, Food and Thoughts on the DIET, or How Many Ways Can I Eat Eggs?

Tomatoes and Eggs.

Nine days have passed since I committed to the slow carb diet and every day I seem to see or realize something new I either missed or that makes sense to me. 

I have never been a breakfast every morning kind of girl, more like 2 cups of black coffee and I am good to go!

I have learned there are lots of things I like to scramble into eggs. Diced green onions and Shitake mushrooms are my favorite so far. I cannot bring myself to add beans or peas to breakfast but the veggies sauteed and scrambled are quite doable. I do not get hungry at all if I get breakfast in within the prescribed 30 minutes to an hour after waking up. No hunger for hours, until maybe 2 or 3 in the afternoon before there is even an inkling of hunger.

No toast and no sandwiches is difficult. They were easy and a habit. 

Now lunch is the biggest challenge because I am not hungry in 4-5 hours, I have to stop and make something instead of grabbing something.

I am leaning towards homemade soups to be a partial remedy. Chili without pasta, vegetable beef without potatoes, ham and beans, and split pea soup all seem to fall within the perimeters of the diet.

Yesterday I made my first pot of chili as the temperature dropped over 30 degrees to the 60's and last night we dropped into the 50's!! (Last week we hit 100 degrees.) It was great for supper and will be a great lunch today and perhaps tomorrow. 

Yesterday I made a small chef's salad for lunch that included lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, celery, diced chicken and ham, and a hard cooked egg. As I finished it the light came on as I realized I should have added either a spoonful of cold drained kidney beans or some thawed peas to have gotten it just right!!

After a lot of thought I have decided mood swings are my enemy and to just be very matter of fact and methodical is the best way for me to achieve success. I have told myself 4 months is the first goal then I will decide where to go from there.  (I will either be satisfied with the results and quit, continue,  or modify.) I have also decided not to weigh myself until the week before Christmas as that is the marker I am setting. No highs from losses and no lows for lack of loss, just steady as she goes I am thinking!!

The thing is, I have not cheated and do not intend to.

The binge day was a breeze and compared to the binge days detailed in, "The 4 hour Diet," by Tim Ferriss. I had the regular breakfast as prescribed followed by a glass of grapefruit juice. Then lunch was a beloved sandwich, ham salad, yummo!! For supper my hearts desire was a cheeseburger and fries from Steak and Shake with a cherry coke!! Am I easy or what?? Dessert was of course the delectable Jar of Pecan Pie, and was it ever good!! (My last post.)

My challenge will be when I take a trip and am not at home. I will have to suck it up, put on my big girl panties, and I guess we will all see what I am made of won't we??