Let's Do Lunch Community

I will return home on Thursday and I will resume my menus then. It is too much trying to maintain my WOE here. Yesterday I went shopping with my granddaughter for a wedding dress, she is getting married in June. She was so beautiful in all the dresses she tried, but looked especially beautiful in one. It was so much fun to be with them, but of course we ate out. I haven't been getting as much exercise here. I enjoy being with them but there is something special about being in my own place. I miss my friends and activities at home and especially my bed!! Life is good.

We celebrated my daughter's big 50 last night because she didn't get a party last year. Tonight we will celebrate her 51st birthday. This is the first time I have been with her on her birthday in a long time. Last year I was here for my great granddaughter birthday on Sept. 7th and also the year before. It is so fun to watch the little ones but Jen was like a little girl last night. She was so surprised. I am going on a strict LDL fast. I need to get my life in order. Life is good and it is party time.

It has been 10 days and I am up 10 lbs. I know I should have followed the advice on FB and turned the scales back 10 lbs. for day light savings time and the holidays. I am now faced with 10 days of drinking water and eating clean. I started out well and thank my friend Darla for introducing me to SF caramel sauce. I save it for special treats like drizzling it on apples or popcorn. I am making a big pot of soup today. Life is good.

I ate several sweets that I shouldn't have, but ate fruits and veggies and proteins to fill up on before losing control and the other 2 meals were good. I have recommited to my clean eating and drinking water. I did drink water last night in the beautiful goblets. I have my vision back and I do want to feel better. I thank God for answered prayer. I did get a picture with my great granddaughter and Santa. Life is sweet.

Tomorrow I will combine the 2 spaghetti squash recipes from the main dishes and make a south western casserole. Today I picked my favorites from the store to make lunches and dinner so I can get over the cravings I have stirred up by eating non-LDL foods. I go to the store and spend a little more money to purchase the LDL foods I like. I may even try the cauliflower crust pizza or make my upside down pizza. Anything I can do to return to this wonderful WOE and still treat my self special for the holidays is what I will do. Life is very good.

PS: Plans changed as they often do when you are with family. We had lunch and went shopping at 5PM so we didnt get home till 9:30. I had a salad and turkey and yogurt and granola for dessert. Tomorrow will be the concert and dinner with family at the German restaurant. They serve a family platter with some sides so I will have some chicken and salad. I didn't do so well today, but it could have been worse! Life is full of unexpected pleasures.

Well today I will make the spaghetti squash for lunch. How plans are always changing when you have a big family and 4 different homes to visit. Last night I made split pea soup, which was good and Jen made some corn muffins to go with. I unfortunately ate 3 with honey and apple butter. Now I am back to square 1. I feel like I am doing the cha-cha-cha. I do love being around my children. Life is good.

Best you can do is point out how certain foods affect you and that in time it might start affecting them. Hopefully the light will come on before they are as far down the road as we were. It is so much easier when everyone is on board with you.

Enjoy your family.

I waited too long to fix the squash and it went bad! We had cabbage and turkey sausage for dinner. They we went to a party where they were selling essential oils. They are great and would last a long time but are expensive. I drank 3 glasses of water with a drop of the oil and it was so good. I think I could really drink more water with the oils. I tried lime, stress free and grapefruit. Jen is going to make me some deodorant and pads to remove makeup. Unfortunately they had an assortment of Christmas cookies which I indulged in. No heart burn yet, but the 3 glasses of water probably helped. Life is sweet.

12/15/15
I had dinner with a friend last night. We had cabbage/hamburger soup that was yummy and very filling. I just wanted to taste a small piece of a cake she had baked, but it ended up being a large piece of cake. I feel entitled during the holidays but it doesn't do my body good. When I open that door to sin or bad habits in my life, they always seem to grow like wild fires. I struggle with cravings again! I am looking forward to flying to Calif. on Christmas day so I will be able to enjoy a plethora of fresh fruits and veggies. I love my life.

12/26/2015
I FLEW ON TO SAN FRANCISCO YESTERDAY AND SPENT THE DAY THERE WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER. WE SAW THE GOLDEN GATE AND HAD LUNCH IN SAUSALITO. LAST NIGHT DAVID MADE DINNER FOR US AND I MANAGED TO SKIP DESSERT. TODAY WE WENT TO CHURCH AND STAYED FOR A POTLUCK LUNCH, AGAIN I SKIPPED DESSERT. WE WILL HAVE A FAMILY DINNER HERE TONIGHT. I PLAN TO MAKE MEATLOAF, SWEET POTATOES, BROCCOLI AND SALAD. LIFE IS GOOD AND ENJOYING ANOTHER SUNNY DAY AT THE BEACH.

Sounds like a great trip!

12/27/15
Dinner went well last night. I made a combo of sweet potatoes and Yukon gold with pepper stir-fry. It was pretty and delish. Tonite we have company again and having Chicken roasted with tomatoes, potatoes, onions and artichoke hearts seasoned with rosemary and oregano. I am making some eggplant pizza rounds, roasted butternut squash and a big salad. I may add another veggie if we have a crowd. There could be 10 or more people here for dinner. Dessert will be leftover Christmas sweets. Life is a celebration of Love.

As we wind down this year, I am reminded how fast time flies by. I am suffering because of poor choices I have made. I praise God for His faithfulness and remember that His mercies are new every morning. Life goes on.

It is hard to believe that a year has come and gone and I am in the same place I was in last year to usher it in. The beautiful shores of Butterfly Town are so inspiring and soothing to me. This year is the year I choose to dance. My daughter sings the song "I hope you dance". I have read articles about exercise, and dancing is the best. The music triggers memories and uses the whole brain; the movements are almost an automatic response of muscles, happiness and worship in this body which is the temple of God. Our body was created to move and I choose to dance instead of sitting it out on the sidelines. Live, laugh and dance!

Happy New Year!

1/4/2016
This morning I am preparing myself a scramble with veggies and 2 eggs and having an apple. I am going to eat all my favorite LDL foods and eat only 3 meals with no snacking in between. This is my gift to myself this morning and a hot cup of tea because the air coming off the ocean this morning is cold and damp. Life is very good.
Lunch was meatloaf with mushroom gravy, red cabbage with vinegar, spinach salad. chocolate chai tea with almond milk. I did have a snack frozen cherries.
Dinner was 2 corn thins with rotissarie chicken, mustard and mayo, 3 small polenta rounds with melted black cherry all fruit jam, cup of tea and a brownie.
As you can see I started out with resolve and ended the day badly when my granddaughter made the brownies. Tomorrow I will do better! I don't give up easy but apparently often!