OK. It's official. I now have two months until the wedding date and I have yet to lose more than 5 pounds. The good news is that I'm perfecting the art of eating healthy. I just still eat too much.
New strategy as of Monday. I'm eating six small, tiny meals a day of very healthy food. Yesterday I had two meals that consisted of a piece of cheese and a bunch of tiny tomatoes.
I tried on wedding dress today. Yikes. It looks pretty and I know I'll have a wonderful time. The best part of being with the right man is that you don't really care if you are thin enough or pretty enough. You become content with knowing that someone loves you for who you are. Having said that, I really do want to get to a more healthy lifestyle and weight. But not for the same reasons.
Cheers!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wedding menu
Well, on Monday, it's officially 2 months and counting until the big wedding date. I had a huge pow-wow yesterday with my wedding major domo (maid of honor) and we've got the timeline down, much of the rentals and the design hammered out and -- ta daaaaah -- the menu.
I'm not going to reveal all, but we are having a lot of seasonal foods and I'd love to include some foods from our own garden, such as beets and Brussels sprouts. It's going to be a four-course meal with lots of resting time in between courses. We are also using two very interesting main course foods and pairing them together instead of allowing people a choice -- less fuss when it comes to doing place cards and seating arrangements and keeping track of RSVPs.
News on our garden: It's a huge hit. The only problem is that it's hard to keep up with the weeding. This week we have not stop moving for a minute (why didn't someone tell me that school supply shopping is a major ponzi scheme by teachers who accumulate masses of dry-erase markers, clipboards, erasers and boxes of Kleenex and sell them on the black market!) We seriously have had zero down time this week and the next time we have the kids, we are on vacation Up North for a week. Fun! Am planning that menu as well and of course have to do a frontal lobotamy to get my mind away from just picking the kids' favorites and really sticking to foods that Tim and I like and enjoy. More on that menu soon.
I'm not going to reveal all, but we are having a lot of seasonal foods and I'd love to include some foods from our own garden, such as beets and Brussels sprouts. It's going to be a four-course meal with lots of resting time in between courses. We are also using two very interesting main course foods and pairing them together instead of allowing people a choice -- less fuss when it comes to doing place cards and seating arrangements and keeping track of RSVPs.
News on our garden: It's a huge hit. The only problem is that it's hard to keep up with the weeding. This week we have not stop moving for a minute (why didn't someone tell me that school supply shopping is a major ponzi scheme by teachers who accumulate masses of dry-erase markers, clipboards, erasers and boxes of Kleenex and sell them on the black market!) We seriously have had zero down time this week and the next time we have the kids, we are on vacation Up North for a week. Fun! Am planning that menu as well and of course have to do a frontal lobotamy to get my mind away from just picking the kids' favorites and really sticking to foods that Tim and I like and enjoy. More on that menu soon.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
I'm ba-aaack! With great camping stories
I'm so sorry that I've been gone for so long, but it's been so busy, I hardly know where to start.
First, I've got a new major client and that always takes a lot of time to get them up and running. Another client has been very busy, so that usually means that I'm going to be busy. Then, the kids being home in the summer keeps me hopping as does Tim, who has been working hard as well.
The good news--aside from all my great clients--is that we got to get away as a family over the weekend camping. We went to Big Foot State Park in Lake Geneva, which I highly recommend to anyone who doesn't care for completely rugged wilderness camping. We had a terrific time. The kids were true sports, really pitching in. Isabel, the oldest, kept asking me how she could help. We always have a good time together and this weekend was no different. Eden was also a lot of fun. She and I went for a walk along the lakeshore walking path and it cracked me up how this 7-year-old walks like a 30-year-old power walker. I had a hard time keeping up (I was attached by leash to our dog) and she's just walking along, looking around and keeping up a pretty constant chatter about which houses, boats and gardens she likes. It was fun! Colin and his dad got a lot of quality time together, too (as did the girls, but it seems to be critical to Colin's wellbeing--he gets jealous when Tim takes time out for the girls one-on-one).
The other fun part was cooking together. The children always offered to help. The menu had to be creative to fit with my 'Eating Real Food' diet. They didn't even seem to notice. I had one rule, and that was we had to cook everything over the fire (and we did except the first night because we arrived at about 9 p.m.). Everything with an asterisk was not on the diet, but was considered essential by the kids. I had very little.
Friday night:
Cheeseburgers
Cream cheese and onion dip
Potatoe chips *
Sliced cucumbers
Saturday
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs and cheese
Bacon
Cherries
Snack
Apples and cheese
Lunch
Sandwiches on sour dough bread
Potatoe salad
Chips and dip*
Snack
Watermelon
Dinner
Turkey brats
Pesto Pasta Salad with peas *
Tomatoe slices
Sunday
Breakfast
Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with whipped cream
Sausage
Fruit
Lunch
Real hot dogs
Potatoe salad
Pasta salad
Dinner
Fish (fresh caught) steamed
BBQ chicken
Green beans
Roasted potatoes
Jiffy pop *
Breakfast
Bagels and cream cheese*
Fruit
Lunch (at a restaurant in Delavan)
Chopped chicken salad
Corn soup
I wasn't perfect, but it was pretty fun and the kids had a great time helping to cook. No one said they didn't like the food (and if they did, they ended up trying it and loving it anyway). Fun! Of course, Tim chowed down and, for once, I didn't eat as much as I usually do. Yay!
First, I've got a new major client and that always takes a lot of time to get them up and running. Another client has been very busy, so that usually means that I'm going to be busy. Then, the kids being home in the summer keeps me hopping as does Tim, who has been working hard as well.
The good news--aside from all my great clients--is that we got to get away as a family over the weekend camping. We went to Big Foot State Park in Lake Geneva, which I highly recommend to anyone who doesn't care for completely rugged wilderness camping. We had a terrific time. The kids were true sports, really pitching in. Isabel, the oldest, kept asking me how she could help. We always have a good time together and this weekend was no different. Eden was also a lot of fun. She and I went for a walk along the lakeshore walking path and it cracked me up how this 7-year-old walks like a 30-year-old power walker. I had a hard time keeping up (I was attached by leash to our dog) and she's just walking along, looking around and keeping up a pretty constant chatter about which houses, boats and gardens she likes. It was fun! Colin and his dad got a lot of quality time together, too (as did the girls, but it seems to be critical to Colin's wellbeing--he gets jealous when Tim takes time out for the girls one-on-one).
The other fun part was cooking together. The children always offered to help. The menu had to be creative to fit with my 'Eating Real Food' diet. They didn't even seem to notice. I had one rule, and that was we had to cook everything over the fire (and we did except the first night because we arrived at about 9 p.m.). Everything with an asterisk was not on the diet, but was considered essential by the kids. I had very little.
Friday night:
Cheeseburgers
Cream cheese and onion dip
Potatoe chips *
Sliced cucumbers
Saturday
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs and cheese
Bacon
Cherries
Snack
Apples and cheese
Lunch
Sandwiches on sour dough bread
Potatoe salad
Chips and dip*
Snack
Watermelon
Dinner
Turkey brats
Pesto Pasta Salad with peas *
Tomatoe slices
Sunday
Breakfast
Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with whipped cream
Sausage
Fruit
Lunch
Real hot dogs
Potatoe salad
Pasta salad
Dinner
Fish (fresh caught) steamed
BBQ chicken
Green beans
Roasted potatoes
Jiffy pop *
Breakfast
Bagels and cream cheese*
Fruit
Lunch (at a restaurant in Delavan)
Chopped chicken salad
Corn soup
I wasn't perfect, but it was pretty fun and the kids had a great time helping to cook. No one said they didn't like the food (and if they did, they ended up trying it and loving it anyway). Fun! Of course, Tim chowed down and, for once, I didn't eat as much as I usually do. Yay!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Ideas for eating on the road
My friend Nancy is doing a lot of traveling and is looking for ideas on how to keep your lifestyle healthy. I'm going to provide some of my ideas. Everyone else please chip in!
1. Split dinners and lunches with a pal at the table.
2. If you really want to order something interesting, order it with a few people and everyone take a bite.
3. Google restaurants that are all natural, seasonal, local cuisine.
4. Ask your waiter not to use any fat other than butter or olive oil on your food.
5. Don't eat anything deep fried.
6. Carry snacks with you (this from my nutritionist) including fruits, a jar of juice, cheese, raw nuts, raw veggies and hummus. Keep it all in a small cooler that travels with you at all times.
7. Eat small meals between the big ones so you aren't as tempted.
8. Keep alcohol to a glass a day and two on Saturday.
9. Don't stop for fast food ever! Find a grocery store and have a sandwich and a piece of fruit or veggies.
10. Don't eat salads if you are hungry because you'll just be hungry again later and eat a big dessert or something. I skip salads and just get some steamed veggies with a piece of fish, lean meat or chicken. I'm more full and less tempted to cheat.
Any other ideas?
1. Split dinners and lunches with a pal at the table.
2. If you really want to order something interesting, order it with a few people and everyone take a bite.
3. Google restaurants that are all natural, seasonal, local cuisine.
4. Ask your waiter not to use any fat other than butter or olive oil on your food.
5. Don't eat anything deep fried.
6. Carry snacks with you (this from my nutritionist) including fruits, a jar of juice, cheese, raw nuts, raw veggies and hummus. Keep it all in a small cooler that travels with you at all times.
7. Eat small meals between the big ones so you aren't as tempted.
8. Keep alcohol to a glass a day and two on Saturday.
9. Don't stop for fast food ever! Find a grocery store and have a sandwich and a piece of fruit or veggies.
10. Don't eat salads if you are hungry because you'll just be hungry again later and eat a big dessert or something. I skip salads and just get some steamed veggies with a piece of fish, lean meat or chicken. I'm more full and less tempted to cheat.
Any other ideas?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Summer travel/visitors
Whew! Summer is a whirlwind of traveling, visiting and visitors and the past weekend and one coming up are no exception.
Last weekend I met some of Tim's family for the first time (at least met them for any length of time). It was nervous because it's the first family get-together since Tim's separation a few years ago and I was worried I would be the outsider. Fortunately, after a bit of awkwardness at the beginning, typical of getting to know a new person (mostly on my part), it all went well. Tim's family was really gracious and we had a great time!
The hard part was the food, since I am really trying to eat seasonally and organically. Eating healthy really has a different meaning for everyone. Tim's mom had planned burgers and brats for Friday and Saturday, so I supplemented that with chicken breasts for my own eating. Her side dishes were potato salad and chips and this cream cheese onion dip (really good), but I knew I needed more veggies and fruit so I added a big fruit salad with kiwi, melon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries and a big veggie salad with artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, grape tomatoes sliced in two, broccoli, carrot slices, garbanzo beans and snow peas. The veggie salad is also yummy with salad dressing. I also made a pesto pasta salad with fresh peas and cherry tomatoes. Our collaboration went very well and we pretty much kept dipping into the same dishes all weekend.
On Sunday, we all had the Meidl Sunday traditional meal of pizza and I'll admit that I dug right in. When I came home, I wasn't surprised to find that I had gained 3 pounds, but today it's already gone. Probably water weight.
Tim's mom is great about just eating really small portions and I tried to match my portions to hers. I also stayed away from snacking except when Tim and I took all of the kids to Night at the Museum. I can't resist movie popcorn, which is why I rarely go to the movies. It was a great time and I don't regret the flubs at all.
I balanced it out this week. Yesterday, I had eggs for breakfast made by my Tim, then chicken breast, cheese and veggies for lunch on the road. Dinner was out at the Green Lantern in McFarland by boat with friends and I had steamed shrimp, broccoli and a salad. Yay me!
Now this weekend, we have guests with two children coming in to town. They are friends of Tim's from Oshkosh and I don't know their eating habits that well, although they seem pretty easy going. While I'm excited for the visit, I always stress a bit planning the menu. I want it to be good for the kids as well as the adults and I always seem to cook a bit too fancy for kids. The only blessing here is that our garden is coming in pretty lush, so the seasonal aspect will be pretty easy.
Here's what I've come up with thus far.
Friday night
Salmon on the grill (hot dogs if kids don't like salmon)
Corn on the cob
Cous cous with summer veggies and herbs
Dessert: Blueberry cobbler
Saturday breakfast
Breakfast burritos (make your own) with egg, onion, mushroom, fried taters, salsa and cheese.
Also rhubarb muffins
Saturday dinner
Ribs and chicken on the grill
Salad with oninos, radishes and raspberry vinaigrette
Potatoes sliced thin on grill
Seasonal veggie side dish (I'm heading to the Farmer's Market)
Lemon curd tart with raspberries and strawberries
Sunday breakfast
Egg frittata
Fruit salad
Sunday lunch
Pizzas on the grill
Any other suggestions?
Last weekend I met some of Tim's family for the first time (at least met them for any length of time). It was nervous because it's the first family get-together since Tim's separation a few years ago and I was worried I would be the outsider. Fortunately, after a bit of awkwardness at the beginning, typical of getting to know a new person (mostly on my part), it all went well. Tim's family was really gracious and we had a great time!
The hard part was the food, since I am really trying to eat seasonally and organically. Eating healthy really has a different meaning for everyone. Tim's mom had planned burgers and brats for Friday and Saturday, so I supplemented that with chicken breasts for my own eating. Her side dishes were potato salad and chips and this cream cheese onion dip (really good), but I knew I needed more veggies and fruit so I added a big fruit salad with kiwi, melon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries and a big veggie salad with artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, grape tomatoes sliced in two, broccoli, carrot slices, garbanzo beans and snow peas. The veggie salad is also yummy with salad dressing. I also made a pesto pasta salad with fresh peas and cherry tomatoes. Our collaboration went very well and we pretty much kept dipping into the same dishes all weekend.
On Sunday, we all had the Meidl Sunday traditional meal of pizza and I'll admit that I dug right in. When I came home, I wasn't surprised to find that I had gained 3 pounds, but today it's already gone. Probably water weight.
Tim's mom is great about just eating really small portions and I tried to match my portions to hers. I also stayed away from snacking except when Tim and I took all of the kids to Night at the Museum. I can't resist movie popcorn, which is why I rarely go to the movies. It was a great time and I don't regret the flubs at all.
I balanced it out this week. Yesterday, I had eggs for breakfast made by my Tim, then chicken breast, cheese and veggies for lunch on the road. Dinner was out at the Green Lantern in McFarland by boat with friends and I had steamed shrimp, broccoli and a salad. Yay me!
Now this weekend, we have guests with two children coming in to town. They are friends of Tim's from Oshkosh and I don't know their eating habits that well, although they seem pretty easy going. While I'm excited for the visit, I always stress a bit planning the menu. I want it to be good for the kids as well as the adults and I always seem to cook a bit too fancy for kids. The only blessing here is that our garden is coming in pretty lush, so the seasonal aspect will be pretty easy.
Here's what I've come up with thus far.
Friday night
Salmon on the grill (hot dogs if kids don't like salmon)
Corn on the cob
Cous cous with summer veggies and herbs
Dessert: Blueberry cobbler
Saturday breakfast
Breakfast burritos (make your own) with egg, onion, mushroom, fried taters, salsa and cheese.
Also rhubarb muffins
Saturday dinner
Ribs and chicken on the grill
Salad with oninos, radishes and raspberry vinaigrette
Potatoes sliced thin on grill
Seasonal veggie side dish (I'm heading to the Farmer's Market)
Lemon curd tart with raspberries and strawberries
Sunday breakfast
Egg frittata
Fruit salad
Sunday lunch
Pizzas on the grill
Any other suggestions?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Retreat menu/party fun!
It's taken me a few days, but here's the menu from my retreat with Tracie:
Start up: 8 a.m. Warm chai tea with milk and a little coconut oil (This is kind of like having a smoothie, but cozier).
Breakfast: 9:30 a.m. An egg and some watermelon
Snack: 11 a.m. carrot salad
Lunch: 12:30 p.m. Veggie broth soup and watermelon
Snack: 2:30 p.m. egg custard with raspberry sauce
Dinner: 5 p.m. (this was on my own) Chicken breast with a sauteed mesclun salad topped with onions and fresh strawberries and a little olive oil and raspberry vinegar.
I went to the best birthday party last night: my friend Patti's 50th and all of her appetizers were from the 50s. The food was fun (gherkins rolled around coldcuts that had been smeared with cream cheese, wieners wrapped in croissant dough "pigs in a blanket" and cheese whiz and green olives on Ritz crackers), but it was also a showcase of how food got "bad" right about 1959. The snack was a bunch of Hostess cupcakes, Twinkies and Hohos. We drank Harvey Wallbangers (o.j., vodka and Galliano) and Cosmos.
I had a couple of everything, but fortunately it all tasted so bad, my favorite treat was the cucumber slices and the fruit Kabobs with really yummy pineapple and watermelon.
We did have a terrific time dressing up. My expensive beehive fell before the party even started and my friend Tori saved the day by pinning it up.
I hope you like the photos. The one on the left are two very good friends who love to dress up (and do a good job) and the one on the right is my "greaser" guy, Tim.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A retreat with my nutritionist!
Today, Tracie and I are in a writing retreat all day. I'm working on the writing and she's going to work on my diet. All day, I'll be eating what she says I'm to eat (and she has to say what I write). Fair trade, right? I'll post later to let you know what we ate. Right now we're enjoying a filling cup of hot chai tea with a tablespoon of coconut oil in it. She says it will set me up for the morning!
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