6 4 2012 The 5 Bite Diet Day 21

Greetings all. My Spirits are climbing. Energy levels are good.

Whats all this talk about carbs? Have you not learned your lesson? Havent you? No, I have not. I am desperately trying to find what carbs trigger uncontrollable eating and what do not. I actually can see the difference. This is always my opinion about ME. What works for you is what works for you. Yall should know by now that I like to experiment. I just do. I cant help myself. Was I an explorer in another life? HA!!!

Zero Carb for me will be a way of life for the most part, that I do know. Combined with Portion Control via The 5 Bite Diet and I could be well ............ INVINCIBLE!!!



That being said, I do feel that certain carbs that I have eating are OK with me in small quantities. I have been tracking on the side what carbs have been Naughty and Nice. Yes, I am making an "Avoid List for Life". There are very few at this time and I dont expect the list to grow much. Ya never know. I do love eating meat. I rather enjoy it a lot. So for the most part (a real BIG part) Zero Carb is for me, but not exclusively.


Results thus far:

(Please let me know if I mess up on my math below, I might add or subtract incorrectly)

Day 01 = (0.0) = 00.0 lbs loss current weight: 190.0 lbs (just starting)
Day 02 = (2.0) = 02.0 lbs loss current weight: 188.0 lbs (nice)
Day 03 = (1.6) = 03.6 lbs loss current weight: 186.4 lbs (this is how we do it)
Day 04 = (1.8) = 05.4 lbs loss current weight: 184.6 lbs (lovely)
Day 05 = (1.2) = 06.6 lbs loss current weight: 183.4 lbs (interesting)
Day 06 = (1.8) = 08.4 lbs loss current weight: 181.6 lbs (oh, yeah)
Day 07 = (1.2) = 09.6 lbs loss current weight: 180.4 lbs (keep it coming)
Day 08 = (0.4) =  10.0 lbs loss current weight: 180.0 lbs (Battle On!!!)
Day 09 = (0.8) =  10.8 lbs loss current weight: 179.2 lbs (Yo!)
Day 10 = (0.8) =  11.6 lbs loss current weight: 178.4 lbs (OK?)
Day 11 = (1.0) =  12.6 lbs loss current weight: 177.4 lbs (OK part 2)
Day 12 = (1.2) =  13.8 lbs loss current weight: 176.2 lbs (OK part 3)
Day 13 = (0.8) =  14.6 lbs loss current weight: 175.4 lbs (Jeez)
Day 14 =(+4.0) = 10.6 lbs loss current weight: 179.4 lbs (Just Shoot Me)
Day 15 =(+0.4) = 10.2 lbs loss current weight: 179.8 lbs (Hold the Line!!!)
Day 16 =  (1.0) = 11.2 lbs loss current weight: 178.8 lbs (Fighting Back)
Day 17 = (1.4) =  12.6 lbs loss current weight: 177.4 lbs (brig it on!)
Day 18 = (1.2) =  13.8 lbs loss current weight: 176.2 lbs (this is how we do it)
Day 19 = (1.0) = 14.8 lbs loss current weight: 175.2 lbs (talk to me)
Day 20 = (0.8) = 15.6 lbs loss current weight: 174.4 lbs (Oh my, my)
Day 21 = (1.0) = 16.6 lbs loss current weight: 173.4 lbs (all time LOW!)


Right! So I hit an all time low period. I surpassed my Zero Carb all time low of 174 lbs. I have stumbled and fell many times, because of my outright fault. I love to do side experiments to push myself into other domains. I paid the price a few times, but gained knowledge. Lucky for me that I dont "give up" or "give in" easily.

I will bloody well crawl my way back. I will fight tooth and nail to get  to the top of my game, that you can always count on. I am by no means perfect that is so true. One thing is for sure I refuse to go down for the count. I will spring up back on my feet time after time. There is no going back to 280 lbs, no not ever. I do these things for ME. It is easy to say "Just follow directions and all be fine" Sorry not in my case. I am not made like that. Never have been and never will. It is just my nature and that is something I can not change in that regard. It must be the "Anti-Sheeple" in me. Bullheaded I do agree.


“I’ve been fighting to be who I am all my life. What’s the point of being who I am, if I can’t have the person who was worth all the fighting for?”
? Stephanie Lennox

Have a Healthy Day my Friends and Family. Stay true to yourself, Stay strong, Live Long and Always Battle On!!!

Todays Menu: Black coffee, H20, Seltzer Water, Bulletproof Coffee and 5 small Pork Wongtongs in Hen Broth, Seaweed, Chinese Vinegar and Sesame Oil.


Fly Robin Fly

Cheers,

Dave

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Kale Salad with Feta Pecans Cranberries and Pickled Onion Dressing Salad Betrayal

SN - I forgive you and take you back.

All lovers in love have heard that sappy saccharine quote, "If you love something set it free and if it comes back to you, it was meant to be." I recently had an experience that made me think of that quote over and over and I questioned the veracity of those words.

One of my good friends loves my many kale salads. Every opportunity I have, I try and give her a kale salad to satisfy all her cravings. She always eats it with such relish and such willingness that in my head I was sure I had her undying devotion to my kale salads.

However, a few weeks ago, I was stunned to receive this text from her. "I cheated on your kale salad." Turns out she went to a local grocery store and PURCHASED A KALE SALAD BEHIND MY BACK! I am a jealous woman so I did not respond well.  I was stunned. I was shocked. I was hurt and part of me died a little. How could she go so easily to another kale salad when she had mine almost as much as she wanted? 

I sent a series of texts back to her.

Youre disloyal.

You dont deserve my kale salad.

Its over.

You cant ever get my kale salad again.

Youll never see any piece of my salad again.

She kept on interjecting in between my rant with empty words.

I liked yours more.

Yours tastes better.

I cant eat any other kale salad except yours.

Ive learned my lesson. 

Ill never stray away from your salads again.

I shut off my phone and refused to hear anymore from her and her useless words about how she would never stray from my kale salad again.  But in the night, I discovered that separating her from my kale salad out of pure spite and stubborness hurt me more than it hurt her.  

The next morning I texted.

I forgive you.  My kale salads forgive you.

Im happy to say that she went away from my kale salads and came back to them, so it must be meant to be.  My head was sure that she wouldnt stray, but now my heart knows she wont.  This harsh test of our relationship proves that we have what it takes to make it all the way, as long as my kale salad is involved.

To celebrate our reunion over kale salad, I made this new one for her, which has the exciting addition of pickled onions in the dressing, which just adds the right sharp and sour bite to a wonderful salad.  It touches on the Greek salad with the feta, but the richness of pecans mixed with the hearty kale just makes a truly satisfying salad.  Im confident that this salad will also help you maintain loyal relationships with those around you.

Kale Salad with Feta, Pecans, Cranberries, and Pickled Onion Dressing
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients
3 medium bunches Lacinato/dinosaur kale, washed and rinsed well, finely chopped (8 cups chopped)

½ cup finely chopped red onions
¼ red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
¼  cup extra virgin olive oil
¼  teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup pecans (small pieces are fine, as you’ll be processing them anyways)

½ dried sweetened cranberries
¾  cup crumbled feta cheese

Method
If you’ve never dealt with dinosaur/lacinato kale, you’ll need to remove the stem before trying to eat it.  I’ve found the fastest way is to simply grab the stem with one hand, and with the other, start at the base of the leaf, and it a quick motion, strip the leaf upwards until the stem is left stripped.  I save the stem and chop it finely and put it in my vegetable soups.   I find it much easier to wash the kale after the stem has been removed.  Wash, dry very well in a salad spinner, and then shred.  The smaller the shred, the better the texture in the salad.

In a large jar, add chopped red onions.  Pour red wine vinegar and sugar over onions and shake vigorously so as to coat onions with vinegar sugar mixture.  Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and set aside until rest of the salad is done, so that onions have time to pickle.  It’s okay if the dressing separates and the vinegar stays around the onions because it aids in the pickling process.

Preheat oven to 300.  Lay pecans on a cookie sheet.  Cook until fragrant and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.  Chop nuts finely, using a food processor.  Set aside.

In a large salad bowl add shredded kale, pecans, cranberries and feta cheese.  Pour dressing over salad and toss.  The salad should get enough of the pickled onions for the full flavor.

Serve.  Because of the sturdy nature of kale, you can actually dress this salad and serve even 30 minutes later and it’s still delicious, although my preference is to eat it immediately.

Printable recipe

This salad demands and commands loyalty.

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A Note On Caffeine And I Want To Hunker Down

Hello Friends!

How was your Wednesday?

Im glad that I will be hitting the hay soon. Its been a long, good day, but around 5:00, I wanted to take a nap. I did lay down for a bit and felt much better when I got up.

I also did get into the gym tonight and got a leg work-out done. I felt great doing it! I had a young man come up to me to ask me about my work-out and to "congratulate" me for staying in the gym and working hard while being this far along.

Working out always puts me in a better mood, and tonight was no exception. I feel good that I made it in. I now have one more leg work-out to complete before my due date.

Also, wanted to let you know that I got back on my diet today. I did have a bowl of cereal, but it was a controlled choice unlike a few days ago.

Also wanted to mention something that I noticed that happened to me after I had a second coffee yesterday. In case you dont know, I quit caffeine about three weeks ago. I will occasionally have a coffee here or there. Maybe once a week. Well, yesterday I had a coffee in the morning and then one around 5:00 p.m., which is really too late. But I wanted to let you know about the effect it had on me.

During my other pregnancies, I would always feel "overheated" and hot even in the dead of winter because thats when my last two babies were born. During this pregnancy, this fall...I actually get cold and find myself grabbing for sweaters and something warm. I assume its because Im carrying less body fat.

But after that second coffee, I started getting that feeling of getting hot. Sweating a little... And I realized that the caffeine was stimulating my adrenal glands and causing that "hot feeling" reaction in my body. I hate that "hot, overheated" feeling. Not to mention that caffeine was also making me feel more awake when really what I needed to do was just lay down and rest.

Ive also noticed that in the last three or so weeks that I havent had any caffeine, is that Im not so moody. Or a better word might be I dont have any real "sad" feelings like what I will sometimes feel. I mean, I do get angry and upset with things that go on around me (as any normal person would), but I dont feel this despair that I used to feel from time to time.

I really think it might be connected to not having any more cofffee.

Ive been generally feeling very happy and content these past few weeks. Now, I do think that straying from my diet (starting Saturday) has impacted my mood a little, overall, I think my diet plus the no caffeine is helping me to maintain a more "even-keel" attitude.

Its wonderful really.

Well, enough of my babbling.

But I will say that I have been getting these "hunkering" down feelings...where I am thinking I need to go grocery shopping this weekend, and buy enough food for the next three or four weeks. So, that when baby comes...we dont have to go anywhere for a while and have plenty of food. Ha, ha!

Well, tomorrow is Happy Thursday, and I will go to see another midwife for a physical exam to find out if I am dilated at all.

Im probably not, but at least Ill know.

Have a good one!

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama

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Meat Free Millet Patties

Hello everyone!
The weekend is ending, but I finished it with a good bang in the area of cooking something new, fun and delicious...oh and healthy!

I found this recipe in "The Ten Talents" cook book and then modified it according to the ingredients that I had on hand.

I was impressed with how simple yet tasty this ended up being.

My husband liked it; the eight year-old ate four of them,

the six-year-old and four-year-old had three a piece.

And I had two when I only meant to have one.

First you cook up the raw millet to get

it to equal four cups of cooked millet.

To do this you combine four cups of water with

one cup of uncooked millet and add a little over a 1/2 a teaspoon of salt.

After it comes to a boil, you lower it to low to medium

and stir occasionally until all the water is gone.

I didnt time it, but it took maybe twenty minutes.

Then, the recipe asks you to have it dry.

I just set mine aside for about 40 minutes until it cooled.

Then you add:

four cups of cooked millet

1/2 cup of almond, cashew or peanut butter

1 T of soy sauce or Bragg Aminos (I used soy sauce)

2 T of onion powder (I had none of this, so I threw in about 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder)

1 tsp of veggie salt (I used seasoned salt maybe 1/2 a teaspoon)

Then, celery seed, rosemary, thyme, to taste (I didnt use any of this either)

They were a little sticky on my hands

which is probably why they asked to have the millet dry.

But the extra moistness fried up nicely.

I used my spatula to pat them flatter.

Quite frankly, I would never have guessed that
peanut butter and soy sauce could taste so well together...oh and garlic and millet?
Crazy...but the kids absolutely loved this!
There are 91 calories per pattie. I was able to make 17 patties.
There are 3.4 grams of protein per pattie.
Im definitely making this again.
Oh, and its cheap to make.
I think I paid about $1.50 to $2.00 for a pound
of organic millet at the co-op which one pound equals two cups.
Plus the peanut butter was worth 50 cents...
So, I made a healthy meal for the kids for less than $2.50.
This will definitely be going into the rotation...
My six-year-old just kept lauding the millet pattie with,
"This is SOO good, mom!!"
Ahh...music to my ears!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Other than that, I took today off and I dropped another
pound this morning and so am at 7.8 pounds in almost three weeks.
My calories today are around 1,600-1,700.
Hope you all have a good Monday!!

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama

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Pepita Graham Cracker Brittle Pushing myself outta the way

As I pushed my spin bike furiously towards some unseen goal at the top of some unseen mountain, the spin instructor intoned, "Sometimes you have to push yourself out of the way to get to the top."  He was speaking metaphorically of course,

because at that moment pushing myself out of the way would have meant shoving myself to the side and collapsing, breathless onto the poor innocent woman sitting next to me.

But I started thinking about that idea and although I was in there for a "push yourself so hard you cant move after class" type of feeling, I wasnt prepared to take on these deep philosophical notions; after all, it was a spin class and not Philosophy 101.  But I pedaled on, breathless, and began thinking of my latest cooking conundrum that had been bothering me for the past several weeks, and wondering if perhaps, the key wasnt pushing myself out of the way so that I could bake this brittle the way I wanted it to be.

I hate it when I overthink things, become over wrought and then all twisted up inside and out when essentially things are far more simple if I just let them be.  My own personal nature is to get in the way of myself instead of letting myself get to the top on my own.  Ive been making this brittle for the past few weeks and every single time I make it, Im trying to recreate the the result I got from the FIRST attempt (weeks ago) and have failed miserably, repeatedly, over and over.  Various people have been the beneficiaries of my attempts as Ive been handing out this brittle left and right and everyone has LOVED it.  Everyone except me, only because it didnt do the thing that I thought I wanted it to do.

Today, with the spin instructors deep thought in my head, I just let it go.  I wanted another try, another attempt and just another visit with this brittle and perhaps it would be like the one I wanted, or perhaps not.  At any rate, I was going to stop agonizing over it and stop giving myself a hard time about it.  I was, so to speak, going to push myself outta the way.

Todays brittle is pretty close to the perfection Ive been striving for these past few weeks.  Its truly simply ingredients with simple preparation to make something delicious.  Itll be in a lot of the food gifts I do this holiday I think, only because it is so simple to make and it takes little effort to make it.  Prepare to wow yourself and if you need to, push yourself outta the way to enjoy!

Pepita Graham Cracker Brittle
Makes 30 or so pieces

Ingredients
15 graham crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds, available at Trader Joes)
1 cup golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sea salt (optional) to sprinkle on top

Method
Preheat oven to 350?F. Line a baking sheet (half sheet) with aluminum foil.  Spray with cooking oil for easy of clean up.  Lay 15 graham crackers on the tray.  (I break apart a few for the end to fill the tray, but this is optional)

In a medium saucepan over high heat, add butter and pepitas.  Stir until butter is all melted and then add brown sugar all at once.  Cook until brown sugar is melted about 90 seconds- the mixture may not be completely uniform but that is okay.  Add vanilla extract and cook for another 10 seconds.  Remove from heat and pour mixture over graham crackers.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and slightly darkened. Remove from oven and cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Cut or break into chunks.  Oftentimes it breaks up unevenly so jagged pieces end up being really attractive.

Printable recipe

Its on my list of easy gifts to make to give away this year.

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Pumpkin Spice Bread with Brown Butter Glaze Sometimes a can is all you have

Ive noticed an alarming trend in my grocery shopping:  I avoid going to the grocery store if I have to take anyone from my family there..

I do not enjoy group outings to the grocery store.  I do not like taking Husband with me (as hell buy something I dont approve of) and I do not enjoy very much, three chattering, active, no-longer-sit-in-the-cart-and-look-cute children, who ask and explore and get excited over things that I cannot imagine.

"Mom, did you know that Jello comes in this bright green color?  How do they do that?"

"Mom, can I buy this [points to most sugary cereal with 27 different artificial colors listed] and eat it for all three meals today?

"Mom, lets walk down this [chips] aisle.  I wanna see all the stuff here.  It looks really yummy here."

"Mom, lemonade comes in a BOTTLE.  Like already made!  How do they do that?"

"Mom, look at these applesauces.  It has only apples listed in the ingredients.  Can we get it?"

"Mom, we need more snacks.  There is nothing I like to eat at home.  THIS SNACK is allergy safe!!"

"Mom.  They have FROZEN pizza.  Now you dont have to make it homemade.  Lets get one."

The mass of craziness, questions, activity, and general flurry of three kids running circles around me generally means that I will avoid going to the grocery store by all means, especially when the kids are on break, and right now, my kids are on break.  They are on a three-week fall break, and I made the mistake taking them to the store once, and I subsequently vowed to myself that wed have to be starving in order for me to go again.

Therefore I began rummaging through the pantry to find new things to cook without going anywhere to get ingredients, and I discovered 6 CANS of pumpkin.  Although the weather was hot, suddenly I felt fall.  I wanted to make something warmly spiced, rich, and typically autumn.  I toyed around with all six cans of pumpkin, making various permutations of this spiced bread, until I came upon the recipe that truly satisfied me.  One major requirement was that I had to USE UP a can of pumpkin instead of having one of those "I have 1/4 cup of pumpkin left that I dont know what to do with" situations.  The other major requirement was that I wasnt going to go to the supermarket to get any missing spices or ingredients.  The result was this super delicious bread that everyone who has tasted has been going nuts over.

(In a funny side story, I knew I wanted cinnamon, but could only find cinnamon sticks. In order to avoid the store, I cleaned out my coffee grinder and ground my own cinnamon, sifted it to make sure it was fine, and drank cinnamon perfumed coffee for a few days, only to find my ground cinnamon 3 batches of pumpkin bread later.)

Lucky for you, this recipe makes TWO loaves - one to give away, and one to keep. Or, if youre selfish, one to freeze and one to keep.  Or, if you have a ravenous family who needs to keep busy eating pumpkin bread, one to eat and another to eat.  The icing is optional - and as my #2 likes to say, "When it has icing, its dessert.  When it doesnt have icing, its breakfast."

Pumpkin Spice Bread with Brown Butter Glaze
Makes 2 loaves

Bread Ingredients
2 ?  cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½  teaspoon baking powder
½  teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½  teaspoon ground cloves
½  teaspoon ground nutmeg

Glaze Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons butter)
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 5 tablespoons whole milk (will vary based on desired consistency)

Bread Method
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease two 9X5X3 loaf pans (or a slightly smaller one, but just know it’ll take longer to bake, the deeper the pan).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Gently add flour to pumpkin-egg mixture.  Mix slowly and gently, incorporating gently, being careful not to overbeat.  Once mixture is well incorporated, divide evenly between two loaf pans.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes.  Bake until tester in the center of loaf comes out clean.  Allow breads to cool for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Glaze Method
In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat, until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.  Carefully pour melted butter into a bowl, leaving excess sediment behind.

Add confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons milk and whisk together until uniform and smooth.  If glaze is still too thick, add more milk and whisk again, until desired consistency.  A runny glaze is easier to smooth everywhere but doesn’t set up as easily as a slightly stiffer glaze.  Choose accordingly.

Use glaze immediately.  Pour over bread and allow to set, about 30 minutes.

Printable recipe

I can stay at home for this.  

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2014 The 5 Bite Diet Day 18

Today I jest rested for the most part. I did get up and around to do some chores around the house. I also cooked some chicken wings and pork ribs. It was real easy. I just seasoned them and slow cooked them in the oven for several hours. They came out with lots of flavor and were very tender. At this time I will continue the diet and see where it takes me. My long term plan is to continue eating zero carb after all is said and done. I guess for me, the only problem I have is being tired more than before the diet. I do have a better outlook on eating and can appreciate portion control, which was my main focus of the diet besides weight loss. Another aspect of it was to get me back on zero carb. If I can at least go 30 days on this diet I will feel that I achieved something. I know it is just a number, but if I can stay zero carb that long I feel that I will have a chance to remain on it for the long haul. Almost 6 pounds down the slow way like most say is the right way. I have so much fat reserves that I am not concerned about the intake of food right now. I drink lots of water to keep me hydrated which is much more important than food. A person can last a long time with little to no food, but water deprivation can be fatal in as little as 3 days. I know that time can vary from person to person and environment. Thats it for now.


Start/Current/Goal
 250/   244.2  /180

Day 01 250.0 lbs    Day 15 245.6 lbs
Day 02 249.0 lbs    Day 16 245.2 lbs
Day 03 248.8 lbs    Day 17 244.8 lbs
Day 04 248.2 lbs    Day 18 244.2 lbs
Day 05 248.0 lbs
Day 06 247.6 lbs
Day 07 247.0 lbs
Day 08 246.8 lbs
Day 09 246.4 lbs
Day 10 246.2 lbs
Day 11 246.0 lbs
Day 12 246.0 lbs
Day 13 245.8 lbs
Day 14 245.6 lbs

Menu
B black coffee & water
L 3 oz bacon and egg
D 3 oz chicken wing and pork rib

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Honey Lime Lemongrass Chicken Wings Experience makes you stronger

For Mom - who tried so hard for me.

Mom took piano lessons in order to help me learn piano.  She learned so she knew what the notes were, understood the basic rhythms and could support me in the early stages of piano.  And once she established me at the piano, and had the sense that I was on my way and understood what was going on, she moved on to Brother.

Once Brother began his violin lessons (with Mom taking up the violin as well), I was free to practice on my own.  The way our piano room was set up was it was completely isolated from the rest of the house.  I could close doors, lock myself in the living room, and no one could see what was going on inside, unless they opened the door.

By the time I was 11 years old, I was practicing on my own in that room.  And some days, when I felt that practice was going to be exceptionally tedious and long, I would grab whatever book I was reading and bring it into my room and quietly shut the door.  And I would practice, from muscle memory, as my eyes and my mind were elsewhere.   My fingers would play songs over and over as I devoured whatever book it was that I was reading.

Needless to say, this did not improve my piano playing.  And I remember this, because it makes me pause and think about how I want to make sure Daughters #1 and #2 practice.  Dont get me wrong - Im not about having them practice for several hours on end, like they are preparing for some master competition - theyre only 6 and 8.  But I do expect them to practice mindfully, even if they only practice for 20 or 30 minutes at a time. (But yes, sometimes they practice twice a day.)

When they go into their practice, which incidentally is in a totally open space with no doors to close and right next to the kitchen, I make sure they walk in with nothing in their hands.  I make sure theyre seated at the bench, correct positions, hands at the ready and thoughtful in their practice.  They get to get away with a lot less because I know what I did when I was little.  My little shortcuts and shortcomings of my childhood are not tolerated and not allowed in them.

Thats the curse of having a mom with a good memory of her own mischief in childhood.

But dont feel badly for Daughters (or Son) because also on top of this, they are continually bombarded with new dishes, new flavors, and new ideas in the kitchen.  They arent allowed to get comfortable with their old dishes, because Im constantly giving them new ones.  Id like to think that theyve tasted more new things that average children their age, so Im assuming that in this way, theyll be stronger.

They responded well to these chicken wings, with the hints of lemongrass and lime.  Daughter #2, who is a certified wing fanatic, really loved the flavors and made a point of eating 5 wings, on her own. Son is now eating vegetarian (dont know why) and I couldnt cajole or trick him into eating a single bite, but Daughter #1 also took down a few herself.  They are not spicy, have a subtle perfume of curry and other flavors, but everything blends together so it isnt one flavor that hits you all at once.

Dont let the long list of ingredients stop you from making this - its simply mixing it all together in a bowl, and marinating the chicken, removing chicken from marinade and cooking them in the oven until they are brown and caramelized.

Honey Lime Lemongrass Chicken Wings
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
2 ½ lbs chicken wings and/or drummettes, skin on

3 tablespoons minced lemongrass
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons curry powder

Method
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients EXCEPT wings. Once marinade is fully mixed, add wings, ensuring that each wing gets a nice covering of the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a roasting pan with foil (easier clean up). Lift chicken from marinade and place on roasting pan. Roast wings on one side, until wings are golden, about 20 minutes. Turn wings over, and cook on the other side for an additional 20 minutes.

Serve with lots of napkins.

Printable recipe

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Looking For The Positive

Hi folks!

Its almost 11:00 p.m. here. Today was long but very productive.

I lost another pound this morning, so Ive lost 6.8 pounds in nine days. So, thats basically seven pounds.

I have to be honest with you. Im a little surprised that eating clean seems to be making the weight drop faster than it usually does when I start my ten week diet. Im still waiting for several days to go by where I dont lose any weight. Maybe that will happen soon.

Oddly enough, as quickly as the weight seems to be leaving me, I still feel like I still have forever to go yet before I reach my goals. Like I look in the mirror still and see the negative.

Its good that the negative is still motivating me, but I am also trying to look at the positive in the negative. For example, because Im carrying extra fat, Im not as cold this winter when I run to the gym. Im just not as cold period. I never thought that that would be a positive to a negative. Ha!

Heck, by the time I get to the weight where I start feeling colder (because of carrying less body fat), it will be April. So, Im basically sweating it out during the short cold days of winter.

The positive is that Im now twenty pounds and ten weeks out from fitting into that black vintage suit.

So, if youre there with me feeling like your goals are still a long way off, try to find the positive in the situation.

Tomorrow I get to photograph Mr. Lovely as he will be ten weeks old. My how time flies. In the last few days hes been trying out sucking his thumb. As cute as it is, Im trying to discourage it before it forms into a habit.

Hope your all having a good one!
The weekend is almost here.

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama

Oh, I ran 2 1/2 miles today, did sit-ups, did four sets of 15 push-ups ( the first two were girl and the second two were boy style), did a 35 minute chest and triceps work-out. My calories came in at 1,750. I felt better with the increased calories.

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More Pregnant Mama Photos

Happy Saturday everyone! Happy Weekend.

We went to a family birthday party today and the weather was beautiful. The temperature read 74 degrees as we were driving out there. Just gorgeous!

Our family will celebrate several birthday parties at one time and mine was one of them today. This is a little photo of our four-year-old son putting a bow on my head. It was nice enough to go bare foot. Im not sure how many days are left like this, but it was nice to still be able to wear open-toed shoes.

I decided to cut up some of the honey crisp apples that we picked at the apple orchard last weekend and serve it with natural peanut butter instead of cake.

It was a hit! Because everyone ate it up.
I will admit, though, that I did eat some sugar free pumpkin pie (not the crust), some mint chocolate pie ( and not the crust either) and some mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Boy, am I glad tomorrow is a new day, folks!!!

Here are a few preggo pictures for you...

Im just glad this shirt still fits over my belly.

oh, and the next picture...

Always a sure sign that Im very far along is that I can use my belly as a table for my cups.

See?

This is a little cup of my tincture of raspberry leaf tea extract with a little water.

Well, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend too!

Getting ready for this birthday party felt like a major feat for me, as Im sure it does for everyone involved. But, from here on out, I feel like the weekend schedule lightens up significantly and I can relax a little and focus on finishing getting the house and everything ready for the baby.

Just today, my husband pulled up the white bassinet from the basement and were washing everything up for our son.

There are still things going on the rest of this month, that will basically keep me busy enough that Im not constantly "waiting" for the birth, but not so busy that I cant get things done that need to be done.

Oh, and I have a question for you all.

Can you guess what kind of music my husband says I start listening to as the "end" draws near?

And, yes, I started listening to that music about three days ago.

Have a good one!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

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Fish Curry Continual improvement not pats on the back

For RH and BS who put up with me every June

Come every June, when the California Department of Education posts its annual API reports...I become a madwoman.  Friends who are higher up in education fear my phone calls as it usually means I will yell incoherently about something and my temper is so afire that nothing can put out the blaze.  It is a fearful time to be in education and my friend.  Just over the weekend, I had an extremely heated conversation with a friend in the middle of a relaxed farmers market Saturday.  His wife, his child and Children looked on as I stood in the middle of beautiful stone fruit and berries and had a mini-temper tantrum about the state of education.

You might ask, whats the problem?  The answer is not a simple one.  Im speaking for me, my situation at my school right now - I want less "Were doing great" and more "We can do more."  Our school on paper looks great, and we score very well on the STAR test.  However, when I break down the data, look at other schools, and study the overall state of California education, lets just say there is a whole lot more that we can be doing.  Im also not interested in doing it just for Children, because I could simply just educate them the way that I think they should be by supplementing their work at home (which I already do a little.)  But that isnt what I want.  I want to see my SCHOOL improve.  I want all 716 or so students at Childrens school to get more from their hours at their school.

The problem is that too many people are ready to say that theyve done enough, or they dont have any more to give.  I get that, because I get in that place.  But if we just could change the conversation from, "Were doing just great" to "Lets do a bit more" I think I could relax.  The time for praise and self-congratulations is over and its time to buckle down and do more, make it better, improve.

Some might say Im being harsh or mean.  But I know that if we could just change the outlook more can be done.  I say it to my students all the time - you can always improve.  It can always be rewritten again.  It can always get more editing.  It can always grow.  I tell it to the girls when they practice piano - you can make this better.  You can grow this.  You can improve this.  You can add more dynamics, more feeling, more tone.  It can always be better.

I say this to myself often as well.  Recipes get pushed around and tried again until Im happy with it.  Ill make something and if it isnt tasty, I wont post it.  I made a fish curry dish a couple months back which Children enjoyed.  But for me, it was definitely missing something and I couldnt figure out what it was.  I kept thinking about it and contemplating how I could make it better, how I could improve it and grow it.  So I kept at it, and this is the result.

It can be spicy (if you use a lot of the chili paste) so be aware.  It is fantastic however with the spice and a great one pot meal if youve got the patience to see it through.  The flavors need to be built up in stages, but once you get there - wow - things just sing on your plate.  I might be able to make it better later, so Ill keep experimenting, but I have to say that this version is yummy.

And as for what Im going to do about Childrens school - Im not quite sure yet.  But Im tired of being unheard and brushed aside.  Ill be saying something and Im sure I wont be popular, but I know I want to do more for more than just Children.

Fish Curry
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons curry powder (I used Trader Joes)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon ground chili paste (use less if you’re concerned about too much
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
3 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into 5 slices and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth

3 carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal into 2/3-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
½ lb small potatoes, cut into large pieces (I used gold potatoes, and sliced them in half)

13.5 or 14 oz can of coconut milk

1 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch spears
1.5 to 2 lbs firm white fish, such as halibut or mahi mahi, cut into 2 inch pieces and seasoned with salt

¼ cup cilantro chopped
¼ cup basil chopped

Method
Measure and prepare all ingredients. In small bowl, add chopped shallots, garlic, chili paste, curry powder. Set aside. In another bowl combine fish sauce, sugar, lemon grass stalks, ginger, and chicken stock. Set aside. In a large bowl have carrots and onion and potatoes ready.

Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chili paste, curry powder mixture and cook until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, ginger and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, reducing and concentrating flavors, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and onions and cook for 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Add fish and asparagus cook until asparagus is tender and fish is fully cooked.

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped cilantro and basil. Serve with white rice.

Printable recipe

The push for continual improvement 

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Vegetable Lentil Soup The benefits of language school

For YK, who enjoys with me all the side benefits of Korean School

Every Saturday, I rouse the kids up early, get them changed and washed up, feed them breakfast, and load them in the car so that I can drive 30 minutes to their Korean school.  Its a lot of work and the whining and general unhappiness that accompanies this trip down is not entirely easy but I carry on and push through and get Children to Korean school without fail, every single Saturday.  This isnt even counting the stress I undergo receiving countless emails regarding homework (three different kids in three different classes just means a lot of emails) and having to actually SUPERVISE and have Children COMPLETE the homework.   A lesser mother might quit taking their kids, given the sheer resistance that Children put up, but I cant give up Korean school and its not for the reasons that you think.

Of course there are tremendous benefits to Children in learning a foreign language and the mother tongue that both Husband and I speak.  We want Children to be able to read and write in Korean and be able to communicate with Grandparents easily in Korean.  We wish and hope for them to be bilingual and comfortable speaking more than one language.  Thats a compelling reason to send Children to Korean school, but on many days, like today, its not the driving force behind why I get behind the wheel and grit my teeth against the complaints and get Children to Korean school.

On a day, like today, the reason I could bear all the noise on the way to Korean school is because I knew that once they were in Korean school, I would have time.  FOR ME.  And while time for me can look like a variety of things like time in front of the computer, or time blogging, or time organizing the house and cooking, time for me on Korean school days is different;  Im far enough away from home that going back doesnt make sense, which means that for almost three hours I HAVE to find something to do.  Something that I want to do.  Something for me.

Sometimes best friend YK (whose child also receives the tremendous benefits of Korean school) and I get a pedicure.  Sometimes we grab brunch.  Sometimes we get errands done, but today was not about any of those things.  Today was about time for us.  We went to a cafe, got a coffee, cozied down on a table; she on her laptop, I with my book and we settled in for two and a half hours of uninterrupted quiet time.  I did not answer the phone; I did not look at the computer. I actually had time to sit and read straight through a novel Im planning on teaching my students next.  I took notes, had time to reflect, and I got to enjoy sitting outside in the sun with best friend and not having to talk or do anything except just be.

Now, Ill never let Children know that I send them to Korean school so that I can benefit, but I assure you, if you dont have your kids in some sort of Saturday language program, they (ahem - YOU) are really missing out.

After Korean school today, after Childrens torture and my mini-vacation, I came home and fed Children this soup, steaming and perfectly in line with fall.  With crusty pieces of bread, or a warm sandwich, it signaled the end of both their schooling and my respite.

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups diced onions
3 cups diced carrots
3 cups diced celery
½ cup white wine (optional)
14 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock or vegetable stock
? cup dried lentils (I used red split lentils from Trader Joes)
1 cup chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese for sprinkling as garnish (optional)

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat.  Add onions, carrots, and celery all at once.  Add a good pinch of salt and pepper to season the vegetables.  Saute until onions are translucent and carrots and celery are beginning to become tender, about 6 minutes.  Add wine and cook for an additional minute until wine has evaporated.  Add tomatoes, chicken stock and lentils all at once.  Bring to a simmer and reduce heat, cooking until lentils are tender.  The tenderness of the lentils WILL depend on the type of lentils you use.  Split lentils cook the fastest, and will be tender in about 20 minutes.  Whole lentils will take much longer to become tender, closer to 40 minutes.

Printable recipe

And with a bite of this, Im thinking about next weeks class.

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