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Post by Phalon on Feb 6, 2015 7:40:09 GMT -6
I'm with Steppet on celery and peanut butter. I take it to work for lunch a lot in the summer - the cold, crunchy celery does wonders on a hot, sticky day. Sprinkle raisins on top and it's called 'ants on a log'.
You would think raisins would be either in the bakery aisle or juice aisle, wouldn't you, Joxie. Maybe near the canned fruit even? The produce section would be an obvious choice, you'd imagine. But nooo...our grocery store keeps the raisins and other dried fruit next to the bread crumbs and stuffing mixes.
I like baby carrots for snacks too....so does the dog; they gotta snack healthy too, yanno. Somehow though, I ended up with way too many carrots in the fridge right now. Actually, I know how because I just bought them the other day - we were out of baby carrots (Hubs calls them dog carrots), so I bought a bag of those. Bought another bag of fresh crinkle cut carrots because I was trying to make Hubs' life easier - he's making chicken noodle soup this weekend, and always complains about how time consuming it is to chop everything. And we already had a half-used bag of shoe-string cut carrots in there; I like to use those in roasted vegetable mixes.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 6, 2015 17:54:33 GMT -6
I'll have to remember that . . . stuffing/bread crumb aisle. Thanks. Now I just got to figure out what aisle that is.
I've never made chicken soup. I love pot pies, and I've been thinking about finding/making chicken stew/recipe and adding dumplings to it. (Or broken up baked pie crust.) I figured that would be a fast easy way to make a chicken pot pie substitute.
I have a package of chicken boneless chicken breasts in the freezer. Trying to figure out what to do with them. Pound them flat and flour/fry them, or chop them up and add them to stir-fry vegetables? (Wiener Schnitzel - Saw it on Eat Street. They used chicken, not veal. Still called it Wiener Schnitzel.)
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Post by stepper on Feb 6, 2015 21:46:23 GMT -6
I know this is the "everything" thread, but all things considered, shouldn't this conversation be happening in the Full, Fat, and Fussy thread? Okay, it's not really called that, but you know what I mean.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 6, 2015 22:25:58 GMT -6
Okay. As you wish . . . .
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Post by stepper on Feb 6, 2015 22:42:10 GMT -6
I'm going to the commissary over the weekend - I'll see where the raisins are kept - I know they aren't near the bread aisle at all.
Multiple meals - I don't want to presume to spend your money for you, but if it's not overly demanding, have you considered throwing in the less expensive microwave meals - like a Banquet? I'm not sure how expensive they are in the civilian market, but on base you can get some of them for less than $1. Fast, easy, includes a dessert in some of them, and even if it’s a supplement to your normal eating schedule it will offer balance to what you are eating. And, it’s easy enough that you could add an additional meal without stressing about it. I’m not saying to split or replace the one you’re having – I’m suggesting you add something earlier in the day. And speaking of adding meals, the frozen section should have microwaveable breakfasts – like McD’s egg McMuffin or similar offerings. I guess you could try to find something you like anyway and then just add it. Think of it as snacking early in the day.
One of the problems with one meal is that ‘we’ – Americans – eat wrong. The big meal should be the first one of the day, lunch should be lighter, and supper should be the lightest one. We don’t do that, but it’s healthier. We learn from our parents and it’s a habit that is very hard to break; I know better and don’t do it. A larger meal at the end of the day only benefits Clydesdales – a stiff feed sets them up for work the next day – but metabolism in people works differently, except we’ve conditioned ourselves to eat larger meals later.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 6, 2015 23:17:49 GMT -6
I grew up eating Banquet, and I don't care much for them. Though I did like their meatloaf dinner. Until I found Boston Market meatloaf dinners. They have a brown gravy though, and I do prefer the tomato gravy in Banquet's dinner. It's been a long time since I've eaten them though, so maybe I should try them and see if they're better than I remember.
I have a small chest freezer, so I don't have much room for too much extra. Though I might if I ever eat up the frozen veggie bags that I got on my last healthy eating faze that went nowhere.
The main reason I don't eat breakfast is that I'm usually not hungry until I've been up a while, and it's time for lunch/dinner. But, I do eat breakfast for dinner/supper sometimes. Mom always had me drink one of those breakfast drinks before getting on the bus when I was in school. Do they even still have that? I probably wouldn't get it anyway.
I've heard the saying: Eat like a king at breakfast, like a queen at lunch/dinner, and a pauper at supper. When I'm trying to keep up with when/what I eat, I keep it in mind to try not to eat after 6pm, and if I do, to eat light. Another thing I rarely stick to.
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Post by stepper on Feb 6, 2015 23:41:31 GMT -6
I can't say that Banquet is better now than it was in the past, but that's because I didn't do Banquet all that much until after I retired and needed a quick lunch at work - Banquet and/or chicken pot pies were the answer back then. Since then, I've added a few things for variety - TGI Friday's Honey BBQ wings have become a favorite, and Red Baron deep dish (two in a pack version) pizza's work too. Both of them require a bit of freezer space, although not too much.
Have you considered splurging on some stew meat and then making "trash stew" with the meat and veggies? I get the meat already cut down in chunks and boil it in a heavy frying pan with Au Jus, then add it to the veggies (and potatoes and onions). The problem being that the meat is really yummy and it's hard not to just eat it all straight out of the pan.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 7, 2015 1:21:49 GMT -6
I've made beef vegetable soup about 3 times now. I get stew meat for that. Froze 3 big margarine tubs of it the last time I made some. Just ate two of those tubs last month. The third was for Mom, but she doesn't want it, so I was thinking of using it soon. Love it with homemade cornbread. I also make a hamburger slow cooker casserole that is pretty much like beef vegetable soup, only it uses a can of tomato soup and I prefer crackers with it. I'm getting hungry for it too. Plus, I've been talking about making a pot of chili for a while now, and haven't done it yet. Got burritos in the freezer waiting for it. I may look into recipes to see what veggies might work best in it.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 7, 2015 14:47:44 GMT -6
I was thinking the same thing.
I'm getting so far behind in here that it's going to be hard to catch up, so I'll skip over the frozen dinner/frozen breakfast thing, because psst...you know most (if not all) of those things are unhealthy, don't you? But yeah, I get it - they're fast and easy.
Speaking of fast and easy - Joxie, you mentioned chicken pot pie somewhere in here since I last posted. I made some a couple of weeks ago after seeing a commercial on T.V. - you've seen that Pillsbury commercial with the individual "pot pies"? I gotta say that Hubs loved them - I loved them just because they literally only took five minutes prep time. Just take a can of biscuits (or since you're cooking for one, a partial can), and use a cupcake pan and line the cups with biscuits. Then put your mixture - I cut up leftover chicken, some broccoli, carrots, and added some gravy - then threw them in the oven for however long the biscuits took to turn golden - I think it was for about 12-15 minutes. I didn't follow a recipe, but I'm sure there's one on-line somewhere. They're easy to make, you can use whatever you want for filling, and they're cute as hell (eye-roll...but they are). Store well for leftovers the next day too. And aside from the biscuits, and the gravy if you're using prepared stuff, you know exactly what's in them, as opposed to say a frozen pot pie full of additives, salt, and preservatives.
I'll get to canned vegetables later - bluck!!! But I'll mention one thing now - canned peas???!!! OMG, Joxie - it's no wonder why you have to force yourself to eat them. Canned peas don't resemble peas in any way - they don't look like peas, they don't taste peas, and that god-awful smell..trying not to gag even typing "smell" and "canned peas" in the same sentence.
Been doing good here keeping up with my goals. Missed the 30 minute jog/march thing yesterday because Hubs and I watched a movie late, and I was tired by the time it finished; it was well after 1am, and jogging did not sound appealing at that time. Got in a nice walk during the day though. Actually, aside from yesterday, I've been doing both - walking for at least a half hour during the day, and jogging in place (sort of - I do move around the room somewhat) for another half-hour at night. No sweets, except for the Wednesday Mid-week break, and nice healthy lunches instead of grabbing whatever last minute because I didn't take time for lunch. Ooooo - Thursday's lunch was a green salad with fresh raspberries, cut-up apples, and a bit of ranch dressing - it tasted like summer! Oh, and cheese - I did forget to mention that as a goal: cut down on cheese. I love it; I can probably live off cheese! But I eat too much of it and I'm sure that it affects my cholesterol level. Only had it once this week - Monterey Jack on a Turkey Reubens I made for dinner one night.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 7, 2015 18:45:45 GMT -6
Noppers. I don't believe I've seen it. But 'Mother Hen' told me she'd give me a recipe for a quick pot pie made with biscuit dough . . . only she prefers the 'crescent roll' dough instead. She puts hers in a 9x9 dish. (Well, she uses a smaller size dish, but 9x9 is what I have and she said it would do.) It's most likely the same recipe you're talking about.
Okay . . . took a trip to YouTube: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pillsbury+Biscuit+Pot+Pie
These sound like the ingredients she was giving me:
I'm really not big on 'cream of chicken' though. But I can eat it. And I'll probably go with the 9x9 dish instead of the muffin pan. Ooh. I have various sized dumpling/ravioli/empanada makers. And a big calzone maker. I could put the veggie mixture inside the biscuit/crescent roll dough.
www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=Calzone+Dumpling+Empanada+Ravioli+Maker
Yes. Note that I said that I really need to learn to make that meal from scratch. That is because of all the crap they add to preserve the food. Plus, as good as the TV dinner is, homemade is always tons better. Well, depending on the cook . . . and the recipe.
Tell me how you really feel. I have a bag of frozen peas. It's one huge block of ice. I guess I should have put individual servings in separate Ziploc bags before sticking them in the freezer. (Not a defrost.) Plus, can veggies leave more room in the small chest freezer for TV dinners and pizzas. And a friend of Mom's has a son who gets government foods, and I get what he doesn't use. That includes tomato juice too.
My one meal of the day was a whole pizza. Jack's Bacon Cheeseburger. (I love my Presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven!) And 2 RCs.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 7, 2015 19:03:08 GMT -6
I think I would have pulled each biscuit apart and laid them side by side across the top:
I do like the idea of boiling the chicken pieces and using the stock to add to the 'cream of chicken' soup.
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Post by stepper on Feb 7, 2015 20:43:50 GMT -6
I confess I haven't checked on them nutritionally, but they are an extra, and easy, meal as opposed to eating only once a day. One meal a day and snacks isn't going to help any of us to achieve any kind of weight loss. Although, Joxcee's making real headway in exercise - moving to more difficult activities. At this rate she'll be running half marathons by the end of summer.
I saw that one down here too. It looked pretty easy. And in one of the "stuff" magazines we get, one of them had a kitchen tool expressly for the purpose of forming the pie crust in a muffin tray.
I'd go for chicken, carrots, corn, potatoes, and gravy - I can live with the cooked carrots in a pot pie but if they're missing I won't fuss.
There you go again! Throwing out the easy meals just because they've got a little salt! Scheesh!
Okay. You've peaked my interest here. Steppet likes canned peas, and to be honest, where the heck can you get fresh if you don't grow them yourself? I know there's a farmers outlet not far from here and I could check that, but I suspect it's also more expensive. The local grocery stores don't carry fresh peas at all - the options are pretty limited - at least here they are. What have you got in mind? In season, you can purchase fresh corn on the cob, and string beans, but that's pretty much it. (Okay, onions, potatoes, and some gourds too, but that's not really what we're talking about.) Give me an alternative here.
You two have both been doing really well. As you'll recall, my goal this week was to purchase a scale so I could actually keep up with the three pound thing I so foolishly started. Well I got the darn thing. It's defective - I'm sure - or I have confirmation that I shouldn't get on one. One thing I did do, was get a Weight Watchers scale. Sometimes half way isn't good enough - or more to the point I wanted to make sure it'd go high enough. Fortunately, it does. So now I have a starting point. Here we go - all three of us. I bet 'cha we've got a lurker joining in but not talking yet.
And before I forget weekend duties. Raisins. In the commissary has an aisle where those evil canned mushrooms and veggies are on the right - on the left is those thin aluminum pans, marshmallows, pudding, jello and prepared jello cups - some with fruit - canned fruit, apple and cranberry sauce, and then raisins. The rest of that side includes Cheese and Mac, and Chef Boyardee but I don't think those last two will help you zero in on where they are in your grocery stores. Of course, you can always ask a cashier where they're hidden too.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 7, 2015 20:55:46 GMT -6
I don't think I'd mind having broccoli in my pot pie. But I'd for sure would want: carrots, peas, onion, potatoes. Although it'd be handy to use the stir-fry & mixed veggie frozen baggies.
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Post by stepper on Feb 7, 2015 21:33:54 GMT -6
I could do without peas, and no carrots would not upset me any, but I have no fear of including onions and especially potato chunks. On the other hand, broccoli is as much a nose turner for me as Phalons' canned peas reaction.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 8, 2015 10:13:48 GMT -6
Farmer's markets are fun; you should check it out, and I think you might be surprised regarding the cost. Here's why (I know this stuff cuz it's part of Hubs' job - fresh fruits and veggies market news reporting): the mark-up on grocery store produce is on average 150-300 percent to cover shipping, storage, and to some extent, loss - although most, if not all, of the loss is charged back to the grower (depends on the chain, and purchasing contract). At farmer's markets you are buying locally grown food directly from the farmer; the food in season is fresher and most times less expensive than a grocery store because the farmer is making a larger profit per pound selling it himself. Farming is a tough business especially if it's a family-owned farm as opposed to a factory farm, and supporting local farmers is something I feel strongly about.
But you're right - fresh peas are difficult to find anywhere. Here, they're only available for a short time in spring, and at farm markets, you can buy them fresh and already shucked(!) - I've never seen them shucked at a grocery store.
The rest of the year, I buy frozen peas. If you look at a frozen pea next to a canned pea there is no comparison: Frozen peas are bright green the way a fresh pea would be, not the grayish-green color of canned peas. Frozen peas are crisp when you cook them like a fresh pea would be; not mushy like canned peas. And frozen peas have no hideous smell to make you gag! They make great snacks too - according LX, anyway; she used to grab a handful of frozen peas, pop them in her mouth, and let them just thaw to the point where they were still crunchy. Frozen Pea Bonus: a bag of them forms perfectly to your head to relieve the throbbing of sinus headaches (sometimes you have to resort to anything that works).
This might be a regional thing, maybe, but I have never heard of NOT draining the water from vegetables before adding butter. You drain them before eating, yes?
I think the way vegetables are cooked as a lot to do with liking them or not. Though they ate them, the girls never liked cooked carrots, frozen or fresh (I never bought canned carrot because I don't like mushy vegetables). I had always steamed them. One day though, I threw the remainders of a bag of shoe-string carrots that I used for cole slaw into the broccoli I was roasting. Voila! Now they not only eat carrots, they do so without rolling their eyes and complaining when I serve them.
I roast a lot of fresh vegetables - sweet potatoes, white potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, asparagus, and carrots (not all together, though a broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix is a favorite). It's so easy. Just throw them in a pan (I use a pyrex or oven-safe ceramic roasting pan), drizzle in a little olive oil, salt and pepper if you like, or seasoning (I like Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute cuz it doesn't have salt), mix to coat, and throw them in the oven at about 350 until they're cooked to your desired consistency. I usually cover the pan with foil, then remove the foil for the last couple of minutes.
Joxie, the chicken pot pie thing I mentioned looks like the ones in the video you posted that is titled "mini chicken pot pies". I suggested them because you don't have to make a big batch of anything since you're cooking for one, and they're so fast and easy.
Oops. Gotta run. Mechanic just called; he's leaving town at 12, and Hubs' car is done.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 8, 2015 12:57:04 GMT -6
So don't use it. Use what you have, or most importantly, what you like!!! I don't like cream of chicken soup, therefore I never buy it. I used gravy in the mini-pot pies, because that's what I had and what my family likes. Of course, I wasn't following a recipe, I was just throwing stuff in that I had on hand, and what I knew Hubs would like.
Cooking recipes (as opposed to baking recipes that you pretty much have to follow) are just for ideas and are only used as guidelines as far as I'm concerned. The biscuit pot pie thing for example - why not use some of your frozen beef stew as a substitute for a chicken mixture. Do you like sloppy Joes? I bet the mini-pot pies would be great as sloppy Joes with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese on top. Chili too.
You also mentioned Chinese fried rice - fried rice usually has peas, carrots, green onions, and bean sprouts. So why not add green onions and carrots (I'd suggest shredded or shoe-string cut carrots for quickness) to your pork chop and rice dish, along with the peas you're already adding. Don't over-think adding vegetables to recipes. Or even following recipes for that matter. Just wing it!
If Wednesday was Mid-Week Cappuccino Break, yesterday would have been End of the Week Cappuccino Break, but I didn't have one. Had two Angry Orchard Hard Ciders instead with Xena Sis, which I'm sure have more calories and sugar than one cappuccino. Walked for 30 minutes during the day, but again didn't get 30 minutes of inside jogging done due to a late night movie, this time with BP (Hubs declined watching this particular tear-jerker chick flick; BP and I were both sobbing by the time it finished). Gotta revise my inside exercise schedule on the weekends; I've been doing it at around 11pm after everyone has gone to bed. Family stays up too late on the weekends to do this. Everything else according to goals.
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Post by stepper on Feb 8, 2015 15:53:04 GMT -6
It's always handy to have an insider. Once in a while, driving through the country side, I'd come a cross a stand where a local farmer was selling produce. The interesting thing is that most often the farmer isn’t' there. It's a stand with produce and an open basket for payments. I've only heard on one stand that got ripped off - people seem to be more on the honest side. But it only takes one or two cheap @ss B's to taint the whole process. I'll consider the farmer's market though. Now there's a novel idea. Frozen Pea Ice Packs for headaches, sore muscles, and body sprains. Just before. Or not cooked - I've said it before but I still prefer raw, right out of the garden. And the locals do some weird things with corn when they cook it. It's the flavorings they add - somehow some of them got the idea that jalapenos were a good idea. (They were WAY wrong.) Another one I picked up in the past couple years. In fact..... 2- 1 lb cans of yams- juice drained except for 1/2 cup reserved 5- TBS Land o Lake butter 1/2 cup brown sugar Cinnamon red hot candies 1 bag miniature marshmallows Pour the sweet potatoes in 9x13 dish and cut into small pieces. Stir brown sugar and reserved juice from sweet potatoes together until mixed and dissolved and poured over the yams. (Add more juice if you want it more liquid.) Cut slices of the stick butter into halves and lay it on top of the yams. Sprinkle the red hot candy over the entire dish of yams to cover it. Add the marshmallows on top and cook in 350 degree oven until bubbly and marshmallows browned- approximately 15-20 minutes. The cinnamon red hot candies are a must for this one. You can thank me later. Yes, it's meant for holiday meals but you might want to try it out once in advance. Do the single serve pot pies freeze well? Or haven't you tried that? First: that you have the will power to do this at all is great, but sleep is a good thing too. Exercise prior to bed isn't the best idea though. It gets your heart rate up and your body burns calories, but you lose some of the benefits by going to bed. If you can, exercise early as opposed to late. You'll sleep better if your heart isn't pounding from exercise, and because you go from exercise to a daily routine, whatever that routine might be, you'll benefit from exertion longer. If it just can't be fit into your life style, then late is still better than not at all. And when the nursery opens up, you'll probably have enough aerobics from manual labor during the day that an early routine is moot. As for me, my life is very sedentary. Programming is not exactly a prelude to beneficial physical activity. Earlier in the day would mean getting up around 3 which, if you know anything about me at all, isn't an option. I've got to come up with something that's an acceptable solution.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 8, 2015 21:00:53 GMT -6
Nopers. I add the butter/bacon grease & seasonings to the pot with the liquid, and then boil most of the liquid out. (And by the way, the mixed veggies are in a can too. )
Yes. I agree. As I stated above about my sister finding out that she does indeed love veggies. And how I love veggies in butter sauce in my TV dinners, but have yet to be able to fix them from scratch myself.
I've added carrots to my roast & potatoes in the crock pot before, but I hated them. Never even thought of roasting them. Will have to remember to give that a try. So, steam or roast veggies . . . and drain can liquid after heating and before adding butter, salt & pepper. Got it.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 8, 2015 21:27:06 GMT -6
What kind of gravy? Made with chicken broth?
Yes. I do deviate sometimes, once I've made a recipe a few times and I'm comfortable with the preparation of it. All great ideas. I just have to remind myself when I'm away from this thread. Out of sight, out of mind.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 8, 2015 21:42:58 GMT -6
Pork Chop Dinner
Ingredients:
4 to 6 pork chops salt and pepper to taste salad oil 1 green pepper (chopped) <--- Optional (I leave out.) 1 1-3/8 oz. envelop onion soup mix 2-1/2 C water 1 C uncooked rice
Instructions:
Season chops with salt and pepper; brown on both sides in hot oil. Remove chops; add onion soup mix and water to pan drippings. Bring to a boil. Place rice and green pepper in a shallow two-quart casserole dish, then top with pork chops. Pour soup mixture over chops and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Yields 4 to 6 servings.
I have no clue where my grandmother got this recipe. Probably from a newsletter of some kind. Or at her quilting bee. The Church ladies used to meet in the Church basement and finish each others quilts.
I forgot to mention above, that I like raw sweet potatoes, but I've never tried them cooked. I can't stand 'Sweet Potato Pie,' so I never even thought about cooking them myself. I like raw turnips too, but I don't like them cooked. Well, the way Mom cooked them. She cooked them somewhat like stewed white potatoes, which I do love.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 9, 2015 11:37:23 GMT -6
Uhm...not quite what I had in mind, Step. With all that butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows, I'm thinking that perhaps...just perhaps...this recipe is slightly not quite as healthy as it should be. I saw a program around the holidays about Christmas food traditions around the world - probably something on the Food Network. Though sweet potatoes (which are not related to yams or potatoes) are eaten all over the world, only in the U.S. are marshmallows added - the rest of the world (or at least the people on the show) thought marshmallows were a strange addition. I agree, but then again, I hate marshmallows. I know brown sugar on sweet potatoes, winter squash, and carrots is a common thing, but I’ll pass on that too. Just way too sweet. I've never had turnips either raw or cooked, Joxie or even turnip greens for that matter. Haven’t tried sweet potatoes raw, but I hear they're very good for you that way. Sweet potatoes as a whole are one of the most nutritional veggies out there; I treat them like potatoes which is where the roasting comes in. Here’s a blurb about the whys and hows of roasting veggies, although I disagree about the suggested cooking times. Mine roast much faster - about half the time as stated in the article - I’m guessing because I cover them with foil? www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/roasted-vegetables-recipes-tipsWeird Discovery: Last night I had pineapple chunks for a snack. Same as earlier in the week when I had them at night, I had to get up an irritating number of times to use the bathroom; it was as if I just drank a bunch of coffee. Curious, I drilled…and sure enough pineapples are a natural diuretic. No more pineapple for me at night. Probably not, but I've always done it at that time, ever since I can remember. I used to do both abs and weight exercises both in the morning and at night, but got out of that practice a few years ago. Added some weights to the marching portion of the half hour last night - just 4 sets of 25 reps using 5 lb weights. I haven't tried it, but I can't imagine they wouldn't freeze well. My family should be so lucky if I was to make homemade gravy, but nope, I had a can of chicken gravy and used that. Bought a scale this morning, got home weighed myself, and immediately jogged for 10 miles. No, just kidding. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised - I weigh 2 pounds less than I did at last year's check up. So I either I didn't gain weight last year as I thought I might have, or the scale I bought is inaccurate - it does say its accuracy is plus/minus 2.4 pounds. Or maybe I lost a couple pounds during this first week of getting fit and healthy....probably all in pineapple pee. Whatever. This morning's weight is what I'm using as my starting point for this month.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 9, 2015 18:53:44 GMT -6
Most all fruit send me to visit LuAnne repeatedly.
I usually get a brown gravy packet. Never thought to try a chicken gravy. I did get a jar of gravy once, for the cat. He loves to lick all of the gravy off of the meat chunks. The gravy turned out to be to strong/spicy for him. I gave it to the outside cats. I will give both the can & packet gravies a thought when I get the ingredients for the pot pie recipe.
Maybe instead of adding the carrots & peas to the pork chops dinner recipe, I will roast them instead? Can you roast peas? (I have bookmarked the link.) My scale is usually 5 to 10 pounds lighter than the one at the doctor's offices.
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Post by stepper on Feb 9, 2015 22:11:34 GMT -6
Well, I said it was a holiday thing.
I’m not a big fan of turnips, but another holiday thing… wax rutabaga. I peal and cook a small to medium wax rutabaga which I mix in with mash potatoes – it changes the color to orangey and of course changes the flavor, but it’s a change I like.
Umm. Sounds good Joxcee!
Congratulations! That's always good news.
Coffee?? Oh, you mean like you’ve been drinking a lot of coffee. Tea is a natural diuretic – one of the reasons I got for that instead of coffee.
I haven't been to the doctor's office for years - Christmas emergency excepted and they may have intended to weigh me but the surgery took priority. I'm hoping the Weight Watchers scale I got in the BX is accurate - the BX usually sells decent quality stuff.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 10, 2015 23:57:55 GMT -6
I think I may have to find an exercise to replace rope skipping. My ankles have complained the last couple of days. I've no idea what might work in its place.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 11, 2015 7:04:48 GMT -6
Hhmmm...maybe parking your cycle a few blocks from your office, and walking to and fro? Using the stairs instead of the elevator, if applicable. Walking on your lunch break, or around base after work? In the evenings after dinner?
A friend and I were just talking about this last week - that some of the tastiest recipes are found in those old church or community cookbooks because the ladies that put them together only chose their "best" recipes. Like a town baking contest, you can almost imagine some of them trying to outdo each other.
Now I feel like I'm having deja vu, because BP and I were discussing rutabagas earlier this week at the grocery store; she saw them and asked what they were (I guess the produce department didn't know either because the sign said "rutabags"). Mom and Dad loved rutabagas...or I assume they did because there was always one sitting on the kitchen counter; I used to love the waxy feel of it. I never, ever saw Mom cook one though, and have absolutely no idea if ever I've eaten rutabaga. One day the rutabaga would be there on the counter, then it'd be gone, and there'd be another in its place the next time Mom went to the store.
Well, that just burst the hell outta my bubble!
I wouldn't think so. One reason is because you roast fresh vegetables and as Stepper said, it's almost impossible to find fresh peas. Second reason is roasting is best for harder or woody-type vegetables - peas, I imagine, are too soft.
Maybe try marching-in-place vigorously? Lift your knees high, and swing your arms with purpose. You might not get exactly the same benefits, but it'd be a lot lower impact on your ankles.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 12, 2015 0:54:16 GMT -6
Ooops! Sorry.
Yeah. I didn't think so.
I thought I'd try jumping jacks tonight, but that was a no go too. Weird how my ankles seemed okay up until the last few days. Maybe they just need a break, and I can return to skipping rope later on. Or I just need to face the fact that I'm getting old and my body ain't what she used to be.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 12, 2015 7:15:55 GMT -6
Early last summer, jumping jacks practically killed my knee, which is already half-dead anyway from years of jogging on pavement way back in my twenties. If the jumping jacks practically killed it, high jumps put it six feet under. When LX came home for the summer, she brought with her the "Insanity" workout DVDs a friend had given her. We committed to complete the whole 2 months of the program, but after about two weeks of sporadic workouts, gave up. LX worked at DQ from 5 to closing; she'd be gone by the time I got home from work, and she came home later than either of us wanted to do anything but go to bed. She could rarely get up early enough for us to do it before I had to get ready for work. I got the vigorous marching idea from "Insanity" though - it was part of the warm-up for the high impact stuff. It's easy on my knee, but I still feel my muscles working. I learned how to plank from the DVDs too, and have added that into my nightly routine before I start jogging. I'd probably stop skipping rope and move on to something else. You don't want to injure your ankles, Joxie; if your ankles are hurting now, it's time to stop before you do them damage. Here's a quote from an article on failing "Insanity", but learning some things in the process: "...every instinct was telling me, 'No. You’re asking for trouble. Your middle-aged woman’s body does not want this high-impact violence to your joints and muscles. Especially day after day with no real break. Stop.'” Some interesting lessons in the article - here's the link: commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/07/insanity-workout-intervals
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Post by stepper on Feb 12, 2015 21:03:47 GMT -6
Something I found today... Diet book's controversial advice vindicated news.yahoo.com/eat-fat-lose-weight-041634455.htmlParking the cycle a greater distance from the office isn't a bad idea except for March through October - especially Jun through Sep. It has to do with it being warm enough to be a bit too warmed up for much outside activity - the same thing is true of after dinner walks. (Yes, you can acclimate, but not when you spend 9 or more hours a day in a room cooled to temperatures for servers.) The normal high for the day occurs around 5PM. I've seen temps in the 100's at 10PM during the summer and when someone is as old as I am, that's a bit much. Using stairs - we have a love/hate relationship. They love to torture me and I hate them. Unfortunately, the elevators aren't available all that early in the AM so I have to use the stairs. Still, it's not serious exercise - just enough to get me huffing where it's a little difficult to talk. Lunch - there's usually some meeting or semi-emergency where you have to forego lunch - or most of it. There's time to inhale something in the way of sustenance, but more often than not I take a working lunch which means it's heated up in the microwave - that's a couple yards from my desk - and then I'm chomping and tapping, interrupted by answering the phone, until lunch is way gone. But there is one thing I can do - always use the rest room on the first floor and take those frelling stairs back up. I cook mine like I cook mashed potatoes - but start earlier because they take much longer. Test them the same way you test potatoes - tooth pick or what ever you use. I cook the rutabaga first, drain ( a must - otherwise the taste overpowers the potatoes ) and then throw them in the pan with the potatoes when I start cooking them. One other thing, I prefer using a hand held mixer to hand mashing them. It blends the flavor through the potatoes better than mashing and breaks down the fibers in the rutabaga better. This would be much more aerobic - but may not be a good substitute. Do squat thrusts. Just don't expect to do several until you've been doing them for a while. Start with a modified version - from a standing position, squat down but not all the way to the floor - think of the catcher position in baseball - touch your hands to the floor - stand up. Initially add difficulty by doing enough to do sets, then for one set add speed. What do you think Phalon? It'll be easier on her ankles. Maybe give them a chance to heal up and then switch up between skipping rope and squats? I agree - the idea is to get moving, not injure yourself into being immobile.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 13, 2015 0:09:59 GMT -6
Thanks, guys. Yeah. I figured maybe skipping rope was a bust. Though, maybe I might get to do them 3 times per week? Today I replaced Jumping/Hopping & Skipping Rope with Marching in Place & Modified Jumping Jacks. I do intend to add squats at some point. Before I build up to burpees. I probably already should have added more exercises, but I haven't figured out just where I want to start. I thought I'd add stretching exercises before adding other strenuous routines.
Off to read the articles . . . .
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 13, 2015 0:35:10 GMT -6
I would love to stop taking cholesterol medicines. I've gone back to using/eating real butter. And I refused to switch to all the low cholesterol foods. Never stopped eating the whole egg either. I've never been one to jump on band wagons, or follow fads/trends.
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