Wendysgoodnews 1st day to Weight Loss

[VickiLynn]

Wendy,

Thank you so much for taking the time to get the sauerkraut soup recipe for me.  I was brought up not measuring a lot of things in recipes so I know I'll be able to make this soup with the instructions you gave me.

Congratulations to the soon to be mother-in-law!  Has your son been engaged for a while?  I love weddings and watch "Say Yes to the Dress" all the time on TLC.  Some of the brides-to-be on this show get the tears rolling for me especially when some of them burst out crying when they find "THE" wedding dress of their dreams. 

I know you'll be down quite a few more pounds before the big day because you are so committed to this way of eating.  Like you and Mike, me and my husband, Ron, have been eating this way since last July and we both can hardly remember not eating this healthy in all of our long lives!  It is so easy, recipes are wonderful, and knowing how to eat properly now makes sense to both of us.

Also, I love to read your menus because they are so versatile and inspire me to mix up things we eat so we don't get bored eating the same old, same old.

[wendysgoodnews]

Let me know when you make the soup what you think. 
My son and girlfriend came from Idaho when I got out of hospital after surgery and brought me home.  He took her to one of his favorite places up on the mountain that overlooks our little town and proposed last month.  We are so thrilled since she is a nice young woman who is a high school teacher at the same school that my son is the office computer tech.  I only wish I lived closer so I could be more apart of their wedding plans. 

[VickiLynn]

He took her to one of his favorite places up on the mountain that overlooks our little town and proposed last month. 

How romantic!  Love to hear "love stories".

[dinker]

My son lived in Ohio and I live in Florida when he got married last June.  I made a beautiful counted cross stitch picture.  As I worked on it I felt like I was doing something for the wedding.  They had it on their cake table at the wedding.  I was so proud.  We did the rehearsal dinner at a restaurant so there wasn't much to do for me but pay the bill.  LOL.  I just asked about the wedding a great deal so they knew how much I cared about things.  When I got there a few days before the wedding I helped finish up the favors.
Good luck loosing weight.  I hadn't found LDL yet when my son got married and didn't do as well as I had hoped on another plan. 
We will be seeing them in April...first time since their wedding and I hope to be down 30 lbs.  I have 17 down and 13 to go. I hope that everything goes well and the bride is beautiful and the groom handsome....they will just both have to watch out for the hot new parents.

[wendysgoodnews]

I tried a new recipe today that turned out wonderful.  I made chicken breasts with skin on.  I took olive oil, garlic and lemon zest and mixed in a bowl.  I lifted the skin and rubbed the oil mixture all under the skin and then on top.  I then put all apricot fruit spread (sf) on top of skin.  I layed the breasts on a lemon wedge and sliced onions.  I let cook for about 30 min and then added a 1/2 can of chicken broth and cooked another 30 min uncovered.  I then took the breast out of dish (removed skin)and poured the juice and onions (removed lemons) into the blender with a tablespoon of minced garlic.  In a small saucepan I put in a tablespoon of corn starch and 2 tablespoons of apricot spread and cooked until thickened.  It was the best tasting sauce for the chicken and brown rice.

B:  Watermelon, banana & orange Smoothie
L:  Chicken Breast
    Apricot Sauce
    1/2 C. Brown Rice
    Green Beans
    Blessed Eggs
D:  Bowl of Black Berries
    Apple cider

Mike's Day:

B:  Refried Beans, 2 slices cheese, 2 eggs
L:  chili
    Green Salad
D:  Corn thins w/ tuna fish
    Popcorn

[patns]

Hi, I have been reading your journal with interest because I am directly north of you in Alberta.

I drove to Billings last year for a conference and was sure I was going to blow away.
What wonderful news about the wedding. And such good timing, you have months to continue to get into wonderful shape.

[VickiLynn]

Wendy,

You are getting to be a super-creative cook  . I try to make one new recipe a week and I have printed out your instructions.  I am going to make it next week (have menus planned for the rest of this week). The new I am making this week is Creole Chicken with Beans.

[Mary J]

My new recipe I tried this week was Southwestern Shepherds Pie.  It was very good too... It gets a  from me and hubby!

Mary J

[wendysgoodnews]

I have gotten where I love trying new recipes.  I also love the taco and pizza soup and try to have some around every week.  I was lazy tonight and was going to eat campbells soup with water to thin.  When I looked I found my husband had given it all away when we were getting rid of all our unwanted food, probably for the best.

B:  Refried Bean, cheese, eggs
L:  Pizza soup
D:  Apple sauce w/ cinnamon
    1 cup of corn from our garden this summer

Mike's Day:
B:  Veggie Omelet
L:  Mixed Fruit Smoothie
    Chili
    Green Salad
D:  Bread Rolls
    Popcorn
Mike just decided he could have bread today so he cooked those in the can.  They smelled good but I just knew it would not be worth it so my cousin(who is on LDL) and I said no way.  Sure enough when Mike weighed in after eating mostly LDL yet falling off here and there over the month had gained 1 lb this month.

[VickiLynn]

Wendy,

Speaking of tomato soup...  When I read your post, I remembered I had bought ingredients to make a new tomato soup recipe I found in one of my cookbooks so even before I went to another posting, I went into my kitchen and made it.  It took no time at all and now I'm back!  I am going to post it in the soup section but thought I would list it here for you:

SPICY TOMATO SOUP

2 tablespoons approved LDL butter
2 medium onions, diced
4 cups chicken stock or 1-1/2 Tablespoons chicken stock base in 4 cups of water
2 (1 lb) cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Splenda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste

Saute onion in butter in large, heavy saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Add rest of ingredients.  Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaves.

[wendysgoodnews]

Thank you so much it sounds great.  Can this be an evening soup with the chicken broth in it?  I would like to make it tonight.

[VickiLynn]

Wendy.. to be honest with you I have never seen anyone asking this question and I don't know the answer.  I make almost all of my soups with all kinds of broths (veggie, beef, chicken) and as long as it doesn't have poultry or meat in it I have eaten it for breakfast, lunch or supper/dinner.  I am going to post your question and see what we get for answers.

[wendysgoodnews]

Yesterday was such a nice day I went out for the first time in almost 2 weeks.  My cousin is still helping me out since my surgery so she went with me to Kmart to buy a new purse.  It felt like a victory just getting out and walking a bit around the store. 

B:  eggs and chili
L:  Beefy Refried Bean Soup
D:  Bowl of corn from garden
    Strawberry and Banana Pie(LDL)

Mike's Day:

B:  Fruit Smoothie
L:  Pizza Soup
    Green Salad
D: Corn Thins w/ honey

[wendysgoodnews]

B:  apple, banana & orange
L:  beefy Refried Bean Soup
D:  15 Bean Soup
    Raw Carrot Sticks

Mike's Day:
B:  decaf coffee
    chicken breast
L:  Beafy Refried Bean Soup
    Green Salad
D:  15 Bean soup
    Raw Veggies

[wendysgoodnews]

We went to Missoula today and ate at Cracker Barrel.  I took everyones advice that has ate there and had the Chicken Tenders, they were the best tasting and so moist.  Thanks for the good advice.

B:  Eggs  Chili
L:  Chicken Tenders
    Dinner Salad
    Corn
D:  Orange, banana smoothie

Mike's Day:
B:  Refried Beans, eggs
L:  Grilled Catfish
    Turnup Greens
    Dinner Salad
D:  Mixed Fruit Smoothie

[Mary J]

Yumm Wendy,, I see your hubby got my fav the grill catfish!  Did he enjoy that?  I used to get the grilled chicken tenderloins all the time, then switched to the grilled catfish.

Mary J

[wendysgoodnews]

He loved it so much he ordered an extra fillet to eat while my cousin and I shopped in the country store. 

[wendysgoodnews]

Mike says he is getting tired of soups most every day.  He takes it to lunch with a salad most days and it has become boring to him.  Anyone have good idea other then soup to get the beans in him to keep him full and craving free?

B:  Refried Beans, cheese and eggs
L:  Steak(cut off fat around edges
    Drop of lf cottage Cheese
    King Crab Legs
D:  Mixed Berry Pie

Mike's Day:

B:  Jicama hash browns w/ onions
    Eggs
L:  Steak
    King Crab Legs
    Fake Potato Salad
    Mixed fresh Veggies
S:  Baked Ruffles Potato Chips
    Pepsi
D:  Mixed Fruit Pie
   

[wendysgoodnews]

B:  2 Boiled Eggs
    Banana
    Grapes
L:  Subway Green salad w/ FF Sweet Onion Dressing & Grilled Chicken
D:  Watermelon
    Raspberry/blackberry Pie

[dinker]

I know what you husband means.  I work and soup is just so easy to make and take.  Sometimes I make my husband something at night and then I take it the next day for lunch.  Chicken stir fry or spagetti or meat with butter bean potatoes are my favorite.  It is an easy way of eating but you do need to plan ahead.  I must admit I'm not very good at that even when I'm not on a diet.  I was going to try to cook more on the weekends but it always seems there is something else to do.
Let me know if you think of anything as I'd like to have a little more variety too.