Gwennaford's Journal

[Gwennaford]

Hi Everyone!  Seems my wireless decided to start working again.  Making this fast in case I lose it again.  

I love hearing from ya'll!  YES on the harp music, LOL on Dave with the stick, We'll see about the popcorn.  I wasn't led to give it up, it just seemed like the smart thing to do for a while as I was letting myself become enslaved to it.  Have cautiously added it back in, because I don't want to get out in front of God.  When HE is ready for me to give it up, I believe it will be so easy I won't even have to think about it.  I will just wake up one day and realize I haven't had it for a long time.  Hopefully!   

Still no refrigerator, Pat & Pam.  Believe me, I won't even wait for it to get cold before I post all about it!  The Sears insert in today's KMart flyer has the fridge I want at a pretty good price.  Please pray that the life insurance company stops jerking me around with processing this claim.  They aren't disputing it, just making all kinds of mistakes and delays and excuses.    

I was SOOO excited when I realized that by losing just two pounds a week, I could be well under my weight goal by the time we get to Key West ! ! ! I created a countdown chart to track my progress.  (excerpt below)  I can't figure out how to work the graphing program, so I'm drawing the lines manually.  

The dates of my weekly weigh-ins are across the top.  Weight numbers are listed in descending two pound increments down the left side.  The diagonal red downward line represents a steady two pound per week loss.  My actual weight loss since the contest began is marked by the green segmented line, which is currently significantly LOWER than the mean, so I am losing faster than two pounds per week.  Here's hoping the green line doesn't cross to the right side of the red line too often!    The pictures are clip art I popped in for fun.  Can you believe when I searched ClipArt for "caboose," the only one that popped up was PINK?!?  



Back to not sleeping again, for some reason.  Feeling okay, nothing apparent is bothering me, just can't fall asleep until the sun starts coming up.  Hmmm. . .  Since I was awake, I spent some nice time with the LORD last night.  Still didn't fall asleep, but at least it wasn't lonely.  VERY sleepy now.  I hate to go to bed with a full tummy right after dinner, but I'm about to fall out of my chair.

Talked to my girls today for about two hours each.  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Joe graduated from college!  His commencement exercises were Saturday.  I didn't find out about it until they were over!  

[Gwennaford]

I really enjoyed the Lentil Tabbouleh recipe today: 

I've been wanting tabbouleh for so long, but with bulgur wheat as the main ingredient it is totally not LDL appropriate.  Turns out the wheat is not necessary at all -- it is the lemon juice and all the crunchy fresh veggies that contain all the flavor and texture I was wanting.  The bulgur is only filler and doesn't contribute significantly to the taste of the original version.  The lentils are a great stand-in, as they readily absorb the dressing.

[LovinLDL]

Mmmmm, what a great idea!  I did the tabbouleh with grapes instead of tomatoes and lemon...not quite the same but still very good.  I am buying lemons and tomato today to try your version.

Blessings and Thanks,
Julie

[Joyful Friend]

I had never heard of tabbouleh, but it sounds so good.  I book marked it.  I have all the ingredients, so I may make it tomorrow or Thursday.  Is it French?  I like your colorful chart.    Joyful Friend

[VickiLynn]

Wanda,

I was also curious about Tabbouleh so I looked it up on Wikipedia.  Here is the answer --

Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة‎; also tabouleh or tabouli) is a Levantine salad dish. Traditionally a mountain dish from the Eastern Mediterranean, and one of the Lebanese main dishes, it has become one of the most popular Middle Eastern salads.

Its primary ingredients are finely chopped parsley, bulgur, mint, tomato, spring onion, and other herbs with lemon juice, olive oil and various seasonings, generally including black pepper and sometimes cinnamon and allspice.

In the Arab world, but particularly the Greater Syrian region, it is usually served as part of the mezze, and is served with romaine lettuce. In Iraq, the dish is considered native to Mosul, whose cuisine is tightly linked to that of Syria. The Lebanese use more parsley than bulgur wheat in their dish.

A Turkish variation of the dish is known as kısır, while a similar Armenian dish is known as eetch. In Cyprus, where the dish was introduced by the Lebanese, it is known as tambouli.

[Gwennaford]

Thank you for looking it up, VL!  My mom and dad grew on the country cookin' of the Ozarks, but were adventurous eaters and enjoyed experiencing the cuisine of different cultures.  They passed that adventurous spirit on to my brother and me.  When I was growing up, tabbouleh was a summer treat my folks discovered at a (rare) middle eastern restaurant out in exotic Oklahoma  Mom and I would spend ALL DAY soaking the wheat and and hand chopping the parsley and veggies in the days before food processors, then enjoy the salad for days.  Tasting this dish again brings back very nice memories.

On that note, I found this Argentinian influenced menu in the Publix grocery store flyer yesterday.  Chimichurri is [a condiment] made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, vegetable oil or olive oil, white or red vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Additional flavorings such as paprika (pimenton dulce), oregano, cumin, thyme, cilantro (coriander leaf), lemon, and bay leaf (laurel), and in the red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It is the only seasoning for grilled meats, organ meats and chorizo sausages in Argentine and Uruguayan asados. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat; as seen in Nicaragua. Chimichurri is available bottled or dehydrated for preparing with oil and water.  

Chimichurri-Style Steak & Black Bean Corn Salad


Chimichurri Steak:

Ingredients

Chimichurri:
1 cup fresh Italian Parsley, finely chopped
6 Pepperoncini Peppers, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1 teaspoon dried Oregano

Steak:
1-1/2 pounds boneless lean Steak
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Unsalted Butter (optional)*
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice

Directions

Combine parsley, pepperonchini, EVOO, garlic and oregano; set aside.  Season steaks with salt and pepper.  Place steaks on grill; coat top of steaks with parsley mixture.  Grill 3 minutes without turning.  Turn steaks and coat other side with remaining mixture.  Grill 3-5 more minutes until 145 degrees for medium rare, or until desired doneness.  Top each steak with 1/2 teaspoon butter *(optional); sprinkle with lemon juice.  (Makes 4 servings)

----

Black Bean Corn Salad

Ingredients

6 ears fresh Corn
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 package Fancy Salad Greens, 5-8 ounces
1 (15 oz.) can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup lowfat Ranch Dressing
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ginger Powder
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Directions

Remove husks and silks from corn; slice kernels off cob to make 2-3 cups (can substitute two cans whole kernel corn, drained).  Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes.  Place oil in pan, then add corn; cook 2-4 minutes or until tender.  Add beans to skillet and heat through.  Place greens in a large salad bowl; top with hot corn and beans.  Stir spices into ranch dressing; drizzle over salad and serve immediately.  Toss just before serving.  Makes 6 servings.

[Gwennaford]

Yesterday was a day of excess.  Overworking, overshopping, overeating.   I ate good foods and stopped when I got full, just had a hard time filling up.  Wish I had stopped SHOPPING when the cart got full -- but NO. . .  Had to overdo that, too.  Ended up getting home very late & had to eat another heavy dinner at 10 pm because I was so hungry, shaky, and tired.  All due to failure to plan.  (I had run out of fresh food, bored with bottom of the barrel pantry ingredients, sick of cabbage lentil soup, haven't been especially hungry, etc. etc.)  Made the mistake of diving into a marathon house cleaning without eating anything and made myself sick and shaky.  Ran to the grocery store at noon (ALMOST stopped at McDonald's first).  Grabbed a spinach salad and a couple of cold hard boiled eggs from the premade salad section, pulled up to the outdoor furniture display and INHALED that food, but I wasn't satisfied -needed some hot, comforting, protein. Bought a hot rotisserie chicken with the intention of taking it outside to eat because of the stares I was getting for eating in the store.  Then I found fried chicken tenders in the cooked deli food.  I normally WILL NOT eat fried food out.  However, I was desperate and the chicken was made from large fresh real chicken tenderloins, fried homestyle with the crust falling off, so it was easy to remove before eating.  I enjoyed those (they were juicy and succulent with that great fried chicken smell) with a bowl of cut up fruit and started feeling human enough to finish shopping.

When I FINALLY got home I had to clean up the mess I had left when I dropped everything and ran to the store at noon.  Got all that food carried into the house and ate one third of a med-small seedless watermelon.  Still feeling like I needed protein, I started to scramble some eggs, but there was that rotisserie chicken still staring at me.  There was no space for it in the little Coleman cooler, and I didn't want to put it in the ice chest with the steaks and raw seafood, so I was FORCED to eat it.    My little doggy and I enjoyed it, thank you very much!  I did save the breasts to eat today, and left the skin & bones to simmer in the crock pot for broth.  So, while I didn't go WHOLE hog, I did act like a little piggy and eat all the dark meat.  I have to say, yesterday was a good day for grocery store chicken.  It melted in my mouth.  

I need to stop going without protein for so long!  I don't enjoy eating meat every day like I used to, so it's a challenge working it in.  I don't want it, and having it daily gets me all stopped up, which I detest.  I would probably enjoy it made into meatloaf, & Mary's Shepherd Pie, but probably won't be having those kinds of dinners until I either have someone to share them with (who will enjoy them as much as I), or can afford someone to cook FOR ME!  I don't like to turn on the oven, so unless I can outdoor roast it, grill it, or sauté it, I don't enjoy cooking it.  

ANYway . . .

I will be making Wendy's Pina Colada Smoothie today for dessert after my Chimichurri lunch.  I think I'll skip the black bean & corn salad because it's nothing special.  I'll just eat the fresh grilled corn, which IS special.  I'll enjoy the condiment on yesterday's chicken breasts and save the steak for later.  

[wendysgoodnews]

I know what you mean about protein.  I go thru days when I want protein and nothing else will satisfy.  Yesterday I ended up eating 2 boiled eggs just to satisfy my body before bed.  All the fruit I kept eating just wasn't making me have that feeling that I had finished eating for the night.  I had even at lunch put red beans all over my green salad and ate that with my pork but my body wanted more.
I hope you enjoyed your Pina Colada and was able to find rest and peace after such a long active day.

[crickadoodle]

Oh, Gwen, I love your chart!  I just saw it today, though you did it a while back.  You really can do it.  I know that many experience plateaus, but I really didn't, unless I ate popcorn.  I was really focused to stick to the plan and didn't cheat.  I ate fruit for breakfast and dinner and a big lunch of lean meat, veggies and bean soup.  This really got the weight off at the rate of 2-3 lbs. a week.  Even as I approached my goal weight I continued to lose each week, though maybe only a lb. some weeks.  I also was walking daily and doing some weight resistance exercises, which I know you can't do quite yet.  Yet, from all I read, the exercise doesn't help you lose the lbs. so much as help in other ways like toning and also reducing stress and encouraging better sleep.  (I'm all for increasing my metabolism by increasing my muscle mass.)  Those things are impt. to good health and weight loss -- because you don't stress eat.  The actual calories burned from exercise itself is minimal, though. 

We are all pulling for you and I know you know that.  I'm hoping I can go to the Fla. convention so that I can meet the new you!  What a celebration we will have then!  Bless you!

[Gwennaford]

I didn't do what I planned for Wednesday. Joe & Michelle surprised me with a visit so I took them out to our fave Thai restaurant to celebrate Joe's college graduation. I ordered Kani Su (cucumber rolls) & a large sashimi tray. That's all I was going to eat as I had filled up on watermelon before going.   


All went well until I saw on the menu a spicy green curry that the server guaranteed would be made with nothing but chicken broth, vegetables & your choice of protein. She promosed NO coconut or peanut sauce. Must have been a translation problem cause it was swimming in the most delicious sweetened coconut milk sauce like only the Thai can make. I picked out the solids with chopsticks and skipped the basmati rice, but that kinda opened the floodgate of several more poor food choices that day. I had 5 pieces of different flavors sushi nigiri, and a a glass of sake.   


THEN we went across the street to an ice cream stand & I HAD A BANANA SPLIT. Not really - it was a tiny sundae made with sliced banana, lowfat frozen yogurt, & strawberry sauce with NO whipped cream or nuts.   


Not completely terrible choices in the big picture, but ones I probably wouldn't have made if the meals in the two weeks leading up to this point had consisted of something more substantial than Spartan vegetarian cabbage soup. The least fattening version that still tastes good to you, right?    


Today I'm back on the wagon. I made defatted chicken stock from the rotisserie chicken carcass, then used it to make White Beans and Greens three ways: 

Hearty Butterbean & Kale Soup; Roasted Chicken Breast w/Wasabi Mash, Spicy Garlic Kale w/Hot Red Peppers, & Corn on the Cob. Third, I blended together kale & butterbeans to make a kind of hummus dip.   

[Gwennaford]

A friend stopped in yesterday and goofed around with the wireless router until he got it working.  YAY!

I tried another exciting Publix Apron's recipe today.  Having a person doing a live cooking & tasting demo for eight hours a day (their poor feet!) AND having all the ingredients needed to cook the recipes, available for sale at the demo site, must increase sales dramatically.  I have boxes full of recipes I have picked up through the years from different places and have never tried.  But I have prepared every Apron's recipe I have tasted that could be easily adapted to Let's Do Lunch.  It is a brilliant marketing strategy.  Most of the time I don't buy their packaged fruit salads and herb pastes, etc. because I prefer to use the fresh ingredients I have on hand.  But it is handy having them preshop for unusual or exotic ingredients that I would never think to purchase otherwise.  This is what I enjoyed today, adapted slightly for LDL . . .

Hearts of Palm and Watercress Salad

Ingredients
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Cilantro herb paste [substitute 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and a pinch of Stevia, for a slightly sweeter taste]
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 oz. watercress (or 1 bunch) 
1 (14-oz) Salad-cut Hearts of Palm, canned in water (drained)  [May substitute drained and sliced artichoke hearts]
1 1/2 cups Seedless Red Grapes [May substitute grape or sliced cherry tomatoes]
3 tablespoons crumbled [lowfat] Feta Cheese


Steps
1.  Whisk together in salad bowl, lemon juice, cilantro, and olive oil.
2.  Cut watercress, if pre-washed and trimmed, into approx. 2" pieces. (If using bunch, trim stems, rinse well and dry before snipping to length.)
3.  Add remaining ingredients; toss and serve.

That's it.  Simple but bursting with flavor, I ate the whole batch for lunch with a can of white tuna and a slice of WASA crispbread.  YUM-O!

[Gwennaford]

Gwen,
Do you have a recipe for the red cabbage vinegar slaw?
Thanks,
Ollie

Hi Ollie!  Transferred your question over here from my food diary page.

I just made a generic Stevia-sweetened red wine vinegar dressing using ideas I found in the coleslaw recipes that popped up when I searched for "vinegar slaw".  I tend to use the the "sprinkle-sprinkle-dump-dump" method of cooking, so I don't remember exactly what I put in it.  It was fairly straightforward.  I was surprised it stayed a bright purple color and didn't fade to that gross-looking bluish-gray color that cooked cabbage can get.  It looked DY-NO-MITE on the plate with pan fried catfish, corn on the cob and salad.  So colorful!

Gwen

[barrypaxton]

Thanks Gwen. I make a "sweet and sour" red cabbage dish. You dice the red cabbage and cook it and drain it. Then you make a broth to put over it. The broth consists of vinegar, water, and splenda. I am like you. I don't measure. I dump and taste to see what it needs more of in order to get the flavor that I want.

Take care,
Ollie

[Gwennaford]

Back online again.  YAY!  Joe & Michelle stayed with me for a week before permanently moving to Dallas. 

Joe bought a new wireless router and upgraded my system so I can now surf effortlessly!  Another YAY!  Only problem is, I cannot afford to spend much time sittig at the computer because it makes my feet & legs swell very badly.

I have been having a pretty bad arthritis flare that has lasted about a month.  Extremely painful joints, and didn't want to take the time off to nurse my poor body.  Drs. think it is a delayed reaction to the stress and grief of the past several months/years.  The Dr. put me on a prednesone pak that blew me up like a giant toad.  I went up 15 pounds of body fluid and didn't take the time to stay in bed with my legs elevated to drain it off.  I have too much to do to lay around in bed all day and night.  So I've stayed bloated no matter how much cabbage soup and watermelon I eat.  I finally succumbed to the Dr's. insistence that I start taking diuretics because she was afraid of the effects of all that fluid load on my heart.  So now I'm forcing myself to stay in bed, with trips to the bathroom every 15 minutes, around the clock.  Now I REALLY don't get anything else done. 

To be safe, I saw my cardiologist who detected an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrulation) and started me on Coumadin.  grrr    That means I have to go to the lab 2-3 times a week for a couple of months until my blood thinners are stabilized.  And THAT means I have to be careful eating dark leafy greens, and all the other great healthy LDL foods.  I can eat them, but I have to make sure I eat EXACTLY the same things every day.  BOOOOO ! ! !    Who can stick to that?  I but I have to find a way to do it.  I've come too far to die of a blood clot because I was too stubborn to follow the Dr's orders.  I know the Lord will either make a way for this to work out for me, or heal me completely.  This is my only hope to succeed at this for the rest of my life.

[cameron]

Gwen, I am so sorry this happened to you on top of everything else. You are in my thoughts and prayers every day.            ck

[Gwennaford]

It's okay, really. I have prayed about this and learned that this is God's way of slowing me down and forcing me to take care of myself now. I spent years killing myself for others and it has taken this to make me stop and evaluate my life.   

Until now I have been using every  excuse for not taking time for my own health and wellness. Eating right was only the first step. Now it is time for some deferred personal maintenance.

[crickadoodle]

Oh, man, Gwen -- coumadin? and prednezone?  Well, girl, you get those legs up and pump your feet. That'll get the fluid out of your legs. The physical therapist taught us to do that with Mom -- and it worked so well.  I wondered why the people at the hospital didn't tell her that when her legs were so swollen!  Well, you gather all kinds of info from all kinds of sources.  I'm thankful we found out.

There is nothing more important or more pressing than taking care of yourself.  All that other stuff can wait and will never get done, if you aren't healthy and able to do it. 

I'm pulling for you.  You'll see that weight going down again.  So sorry about the increase in meds, though.  I'm so resistant to new meds with Mom.  I just wonder if the side effects are worth the "help" they are supposed to do.  Often, the side effects are worse, we've found. 

[Gwennaford]

I resisted as long as possible. I delayed, I argued, I reasoned, tried different dietary remedies, and tried every way at my disposal to avoid having more meds. The prednisone is over now, thank God, so the diuretics will only be temporary, too.   


The Coumadin will be permanent unless the Lord heals me.  The EKG showed history of an undetected infarction, and with a-fib, if I don't take the blood thinners I have a 20% chance of dying from a stroke within 5 years. I've come too far to risk dying just because I don't want to take a pill. There is another pill undergoing medical trials that better balances the INR so the blood is not as easily affected by high vitamin K foods. I will check it out once it has been approved. 


I got a big play ball that I'm using to exercise my arms & legs, both sitting up in the chair and lying on the bed.  I learned some of these exercises on the "Sit & Be Fit" TV show.  Some of them are from physical therapy and some I ised to do in the pool. Wish I could get in the water now. Strange thing -- After just a few minutes in the pool my feet & legs get chilled and start to cramp violently. I'm not supposed to get into the hot tub 'til they figure out what's going on with my heart.     

[southernyankee]

Dear Gwen,
I am keeping you in my prayers....asking the Lord to keep your spirits strong and that you'll keep on keeping on! I have the feeling you are an incredibly strong woman....have been through so much yet you persevere. That is so admirable! I can speak only for myself but I'm sure so many other LDL'ers, like me, see you as such an inspiration and as someone to emulate when times get tough.

Please get well SOON!
     
Love,
southernyankee

[LINDA RN]

I am praying that the Lord will completely heal your heart so you don't have to take coumadin anymore. I know with LDL the arthritis will go, along with the steroids.