RECIPE: WILD RICE SALAD

OK, I haven't actually tried this yet, but it sounds amazing! A friend shared it with me today.

WILD RICE SALAD

Serves 6

⅔ c. wild rice
⅔ c. brown rice
½ c. olive oil
3 T wine vinegar
2 T sugar
1 T curry powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 c. pecans, toasted and chopped
1 c. parsley, chopped
1 c. red onion, finely chopped
1 c. golden raisins
1 c. dried cranberries

Cook rices until wild rice is tender and grains split open (25 minutes). Strain through a sieve and rinse with cold water to stop cooking; drain well. Allow to cool.

Mix rest of ingredients together and add to cooled rice.

GENERAL UPDATE

OK, so apparently it's a little harder to get back on the horse than I expected. I am definitely doing some backsliding... I need to put the brakes on FAST, though! I do NOT want to spiral out of control into the abyss of mindless eating again.

I know that one way to jump-start myself again is by moving around more... can anyone think of any physical activities that don't require good knees? My left knee has really been bothering me for almost a week now; I've been popping Advil like candy, which ain't good but the pain is almost unbearable sometimes. I don't know if I'm getting arthritis in that knee, or it's just plain tired of schlepping three people around; if it's the latter, then obviously sticking to my healthy plan is the best way to heal up, but these days that's easier said than done.

I would welcome any thoughts, suggestions, or comments that anyone has to offer!

Thanks!

RECIPE: BROCCOLI SLAW

I have Rachel to thank for this one, because she pointed this product out to me in a Safeway store a couple of weeks ago... it's brilliant, tasty, and nutritious!

BROCCOLI SLAW

1 bag Eating Right (Safeway's 'healthy' store brand) Broccoli Cole Slaw, or equivalent*
1 apple (I used Fuji), cored and cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. sunflower seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat
Eating Right Asian Sesame-Ginger vinaigrette dressing spray, to taste, or dressing of your choice (see note, below)

Combine all into a medium sized bowl and refrigerate until serving.

NOTE: That is how I made it, and I think it is mighty tasty. The recipe is actually on the bag of broccoli cole slaw, but I didn't have most of the original suggestions so I just kinda 'wung' it. The actual recipe suggests using Eating Right's Poppyseed and Caramelized Onion Dressing (1/2 c.), 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, and 1/4 c. dried cranberries. That sounds good, too, but I haven't tried it yet. Variations listed on the package also include:

1/2 c. seedless grapes
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. diced pears

*The only ingredients in this package are broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage, so if push came to shove, one could always make it oneself. :) The broccoli used is the stem portion, sliced into matchsticks, so next time you're steaming broccoli florets for dinner, set aside the stems for this tasty, cool and summery salad!

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 69

Wow! Can you believe that this started 69 days ago? Yikes, the passage of time is one of the most startling elements of getting older. *sigh*

I am sheepishly skipping the fourteen days that have passed since my last journal entry, and am just going to pick up from yesterday and move forward. In a brief synopsis of the food consumption over the course of these two weeks, let's just say 'overindulgence' was a large factor, with a little 'self-loathing' thrown in there, just to make sure I didn't come up for air for awhile. OK, and moving on...

Saturday, May 23

BREAKFAST
2 Bagels, one cinnamon raisin and one sesame seed, spread with Smart Balance

LUNCH
2 bags of microwave popcorn, seasoned with melted Smart Balance, parmesan cheese, salt, and Tabasco sauce

SNACK
Bubble tea (cold tea and milk beverage, with large-pearl tapioca in it... SO GOOD)

SUPPER
About a cup of Broccoli Slaw (recipe posted after this one)
About a cup of stir-fried steak, peppers, onions, and egg noodles

Yeah, not the most brilliant food decisions throughout the day, but I ended pretty well... mostly because I was too tired to get myself into trouble last night. :) I have been slack about my food journal for a couple of weeks, but now I will start paying better attention again, I promise.

REANIMATION

Well, first of all, I would like to apologize to all of you for my abrupt and rude retreat from this blog. It has been pointed out to me from a couple of sources that this has become bigger than its humble beginnings as a food journal/self-analysis vehicle; it has blossomed into a communication network of friends and family, sort of like cyber-meeting for coffee and chatting, which sadly is a real-world-geographic impossibility these days.

So I am very sorry for giving the impression that I was dumping you all... it was not my intention, never entered my head that my actions would be hurtful to you who have helped me on this journey; I guess I assumed that by letting go of the blog I would be relieving you all of the task of holding my hand. It just never occurred to me that I was holding yours as well.

I hope you all can forgive my self-centered ignorance, and help me reanimate this forum; I promise to never underestimate its power or take for granted its contributors again.

I love you all.

FINI

Sorry for the gap in communication. This is my last post until further notice. I have lost momentum and interest.

I appreciate all the support and encouragement, anyway.

Best to all.

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 55

Saturday, May 9

Well, I did better yesterday than the last few days, although it was not without flaws. One good thing, Bodhi and I went for a walk... had no idea where we were headed or how to get home, but we managed it, huffing and puffing. (I think Bodhi is as out of shape as I am!) When we got back, I put our path on Google maps and discovered that it was 2 miles! I know that's not much for you crazy walking types, but that's more than I've done in a very long time, and the last leg of it was all uphill. So that happened. :)

OK, here's the food:

BREAKFAST
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 small whole wheat pockets, toasted, with a tiny avocado smashed on them

LUNCH
1 whole wheat pocket with cucumber, 1/2 oz cheese, and 2 tsp tahini

SNACK
grapes

SUPPER
Um, six fried corn tortillas with cheese
I know I KNOW

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 54

Friday, May 8

BREAKFAST

Crunchy PB&J Smoothie

SNACK

Grapes and Goldfish

LUNCH

Foot-long Subway Spicy Italian sandwich

small bag of Jalapeno chips

SUPPER

1 pork chop

1 small winter squash 

1 c. white corn

SNACK

Snickers bar

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 53

Thursday, May 7

BREAKFAST #1

1 whole wheat tortilla, toasted, with 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese

BREAKFAST #2

Egg & cheese biscuit and 2 hashbrowns (they automatically give you two now... ugh)

SNACK

Grapes and Goldfish

LUNCH

2 whole wheat pockets with avocado, cucumbers, and tahini

SUPPER

2 c. plain pad thai noodles, stir-fried with sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped celery, and bean sprouts

SNACK

Snickers bar

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 52

Wednesday, May 6

BREAKFAST

Mixture of granola, Grape Nuts, & Smart Start cereals, with

1 oz chopped mixed nuts and

skim milk

SNACK

1/2 oz Goldfish

1/2 c. grapes

LUNCH

Quarter-pounder with cheese 

Large fries

SUPPER

Bun salad

SNACK

Snickers bar

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 51

As I have already bared my soul, the next four entries will be just the facts, ma'am.

Tuesday, May 5

BREAKFAST

A breakfast burrito: 1 whole wheat tortilla, 2 scrambled eggs, 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese, and a couple spoonfuls of salsa

SNACK (on ten-minute break)

about 1/2 c. of the Bun salad and a few grapes

LUNCH (on my way home from work)

Big Mac with a large order of french fries

SUPPER

Bun salad

SNACK

an entire Snickers bar

JOURNAL ENTRY: SELF-DESTRUCTION 101

OK, as you will note from the day stamp on this posting, I have been slack for the past week in posting my journal entries. 

The explanation is simple: I have been on a slippery slope of reeeally bad choices almost every single day, and I was not excited about the confession part of this gig. But, as I said in the beginning, it doesn't help anyone (least of all, me) if I gloss over the hard days (or omit them entirely, as was my wish)... the struggle is part of this process whether I like it or not, and it's important to me that the people who compliment me on what a good job I'm doing know that I'm NOT doing a good job. 

I wake up with the best of intentions, and then at some point in the day (usually as I'm leaving work), I say eff it, who am I kidding, I'll never lose this stupid weight, etc. etc - and go completely off the rails. And then the next morning I try again. 

I've been trying to examine the factors that have brought me to this self-destructive phase, but because I am not a psychologist, I can only conjecture. 

Let's see, I love where I live, but I am not too happy with my life right now; although I got two more jobs, they haven't started yet, and they're not going to pay off in time to prevent another dip into my future inheritance to pay June's bills. I am almost always lonely, which surprises me because when I left South Carolina I was looking forward to some "M time." I am not a "joiner" of groups, I haven't met any new friends, and don't have anyone to hang out with. That sounds juvenile, I know, but I guess I hadn't realized how much I would miss that. So I think I am also bored, but too lazy to do anything about it. I spend almost every waking minute in this apartment in front of the computer, when I know there are other, more productive things I could/should be doing. Maybe that's why I feel like sabotaging my efforts, because I feel guilty or ashamed of myself for not being the active, successful person I was hoping to be. Then I perpetuate that by eating bad things and feeling sorry for myself. 

WTF.

Anyway, that's the preamble to the next few journal entries. Maybe this process of confession will bring about the end of this phase... I hope so.

RECIPE: BUN (VIETNAMESE NOODLE SALAD)

BUN

2 c. Romaine lettuce, shredded

2 c. Bean sprouts

1 1/2 c. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and julienned (I didn't seed them)

1/2 c. fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 c. grilled meat - beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp*

1/2 of a 13 oz package of thai rice sticks (like for Pad Thai), cooked according to package directions

1/4 c. peanuts, finely chopped

Toss all ingredients in a bowl, except the peanuts, which you sprinkle on top for garnish.

The recipe says that "a combination of peanut oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, diced onions, and a sprinkle of sugar makes a great dressing." Instead, I used this stuff that Rachel told me about; it's a vinaigrette dressing spray, Safeway's store brand, Eating Right. I chose Asian Sesame Ginger, which is perfect for this dish (hence my suggestion for cooking the tofu). It has 10 calories per serving (which is 10 sprays, 1 calorie each), and zero fat.  

* I say that the meat is optional, in fact I am going to omit it when I make this the next time. It didn't really add anything to the salad, and the mint and basil and cucumber is such a light and refreshing combination, the meat was just superfluous, I think. I suppose you could add tofu to this dish; I would cut it into chunks and brown it with ginger and maybe some sesame oil.

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 50

I know today isn't over, but it is as far as my food consumption is concerned, so I figured I would just enter it now. Here is today's fare:

BREAKFAST

Yeah, I was preoccupied this morning, looking for a black suit online (for one of my new jobs), and forgot to eat breakfast. :(

LUNCH

It was about 3:30 PM before I got my lunch today... had to run an errand or two. Didn't feel like cooking anything at that point, so I got some takeout from this cute little restaurant in Old Town, called Bittersweet Cafe. It was buffet style stuff, and some of it looked pretty out-of-my-health-range (like the Cheesy Potatoes... omg), so I tried to go with some better choices. Still wasn't perfect, but I took small portions. 

Vegetarian Lasagne (white sauce, which is not really a great choice I know, with zucchini)

Roasted Vegetables (carrots, green beans, peppers, etc -- tasty and healthy-looking)

Eggplant Parmesan (took a very small portion of this -- it had a lot of breading on the eggplant, but otherwise it seemed ok -- very light on the cheese)

SUPPER

OK this was the crowning glory of the day! When I was at the store the other day (yes, Trader Joe's), I bought some Thai rice sticks, and there was a recipe on the back of the package that looked good. Well, I made it tonight, and when I get done with this posting, I am posting the recipe. IT IS SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD. Definitely a summertime staple!!!

VietNamese Bun (noodle salad)

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 49

It was a great day yesterday (Sunday)... I went to the National Gallery and sketched, and had lunch in their cafeteria... it was so much fun!

BREAKFAST

Crunchy PB&J Smoothie, except instead of berries I used the strawberry-mango-pineapple combo, and didn't like it as much. Still, it was a yummy, nutritious breakfast. Obviously, Sarah, this is going to become a staple for me!! :)

LUNCH (@ Nat'l Gallery)

4 oz. Pork loin (REALLY overcooked, and since I told them no gravy :) there was nothing to moisten it at all... gerg)

steamed broccoli -- perfectly cooked, surprisingly enough. Slightly al dente but not raw and gross.

glazed carrots -- no idea what they were glazed with, but they were yummy. Didn't taste really sweet or anything, but there was a little oil on the plate when I was done. :(

quinoa with walnuts and oranges -- my first taste of this mighty grain, and it was very tasty with the orange flavor in there! 

SUPPER

I just felt like something light, so I had brown rice pasta with a little Smart Balance and some Parmesan/Romano cheese. I know I should have scrounged around for veggies to go with it, but I was pretty tired and lazy. :(

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 48

I don't know what it is about Saturdays, but apparently they are the weak link in my resolve. I did OK for most of the day, but wow, I crashed a bit when I left work. :(

BREAKFAST
Granola & Grape Nuts (1/2 serving each)
skim milk

SNACK
1/4 c. tostada topping (no time to prepare an apple, so I just grabbed the tub and a fork on my way out the door to work)

LUNCH (Dunh dunh DUNH)
Big Mac
French Fries
Unsweet Tea

I know I KNOW. I have been able to resist all this time, but yesterday I was reeeally wanting some fries. :(

SUPPER
1/2 c. Mike's leftovers from Thai dinner - hot hot peppers and some kind of noodle arrangement -- there wasn't much of it, but it was tasty!

SNACK
1 light multi-grain English muffin with 1/2 avocado smashed on it
1 pot of Yogi Detox Tea

Might take more than one pot of that tea...

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 47

OK, this was a weird day... I worked a 5-hour shift, which meant no lunch break. Then when I got home, I was trying to arrange our travel into DC, as we (Mike, Dottie, and I) were meeting Rachary, Shane, and Dottie's niece, Tori, for dinner after a quick visit to the Air & Space Museum. All I had time for was a small handful of mixed nuts, so by dinner time I was ready to eat my weight in whatever was put before me. I did pretty well, I think, although I did splurge a little.

BREAKFAST
Sarah's Smoothie, as described yesterday

SNACK
1 Fuji apple w/ peanut butter

SNACK
small handful of mixed nuts

SUPPER
For appetizer: 2 1x1 1/4" pcs of spring rolls (rice wrapper, steamed, not fried)
** I had a cocktail: 1 Dirty Martini (gin) with 3 olives **
For entree: Thai sweet and sour pork (it was not dripping in syrupy sweetness, but I'm sure there was sugar in there), which contained shredded pork, pineapple, grape tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers, scallions, and onions.

NIGHTCAP
about 2 fingers of Crown Royal over ice, which makes it about a finger-and-a-half of booze

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 46

For Thursday:

BREAKFAST
2 eggs over easy
1 lite multi-grain English muffin
1 t. Smart Balance
1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1 oz. chopped mixed nuts

LUNCH
Stuffed Sandwich, extra bread pulled off and discarded

SNACK
1 Fuji apple w/ 1 wedge Laughing Cow lite Swiss

SUPPER
4 oz pork tenderloin, sauteed in drizzle of olive oil and fresh ginger
1 c. Sarah's Tostada topping mixture (spinach, sweet potato, corn, black beans)
1 c. green beans

JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY 45

Wow, I am sorry about how long I've waited to enter these last few days! Mike and Dottie got here as I was just beginning to write the entry for Wednesday (day 45), and I just never got back to it. Anyway, here is the consumption for Wednesday, April 29:

BREAKFAST
Sarah's Smoothie, with the addition of 1/2 T. ground flax seed

LUNCH
2 small pita pockets
1 of the tiniest avocados I have ever seen; the seed was about 5/8" in diameter!
sprouts
tahini
(no cheese, no cukes this time)

SUPPER
Sarah's Awesome Tostadas (1 serving - 2 tostadas)

It's funny; I was off on Wednesday, so had ample opportunity for snacks, but I apparently never felt the need to bridge the gap between meals. I was expending energy, too, schlepping laundry down the looooong hallway to the laundry room, vacuuming my apartment, etc. Anyway, the food choices were good that day, I think.