O Should Know

Dear Ann Landers:  My five-year old killed my great grandmother’s Christmas cactus and it’s 63.  All these years. . .and, then there was Christian.  The little man who thought the leaves needed be shampooed.  I hope my mother does not see this.  Hmmm.

A good, super skinny friend of mine—who has birthed multiple children, remains a stick and causes me great amounts of friend jealousy that I get over each day because I’m funnier than her—were talking about my New Year’s Nine challenge and exactly how CHALLENGING it has been to eat that many fruits and vegetables on any given day.  I was also sharing my frustration related to the fact that my stomach wasn’t shriveling up like all of those prunes I’m now eating and that I’m also bitter on the days when visits to the restroom are not “enjoyable.”  I guess I am feeling a bit entitled these days.

My friend immediately told me that I was over complicating things and the real secret to being skinny was this:  If it tastes good, spit it out!  I asked her where the heck she got that goofy advice and I guess I was not surprised it came from her super-skinny, sometimes-goofy mother.

Our conversation continued and caused me to ask her if it wasn’t really the same as bulimia—except you are not officially barfing.   Luckily, she put my mind at ease.  She said no—it really was just about enjoying your food, but not over doing it with the pleasure thing.  I told her that my problem is how much I enjoy food.

The real gist behind her eating habits is what I have continued to discover over the past 20+ days—the dreaded portion size dilemma.  My friend has basically been conditioned over the years to enjoy just a taste of the finer things in life.  And, I suppose that is right-on.  Anything in excess causes excess—my belly is jiggling right now in agreement.

So, I’m going to continue down the good food path and I’d have to say that I’m excited because I’m almost to the “30 days are a habit” moment.  I’m excited to discover if that is really true when it comes to a change in diet.

As usual on the weekend—I will be doing some cooking because I don’t have much time Monday-Friday.  Below is my veggie-packed experiment, which I will make massive amounts of to last me until next weekend.  I’m “SOUPER SICK” of salads (and, soup) this week—so, I’m going for a strata.  I guess if I spit it out, it’s delicious.  I’ll let you know on Monday.

And, if you know me and are wondering who my friend is—I have been asked not to use her name for she fears people will think she is weird.  Well, she is weird. . .but, that is a blog for another day.  Of course, she was a bit eased by the fact that she agrees with me that there is nobody weirder than I.  And—I took that as a compliment because that is about all I have over her.

Veggie-Packed Strata
(Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Veggie-Packed-Strata)

Ingredients

* 2 medium sweet red peppers, julienned
* 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienned
* 1 large red onion, sliced
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 3 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
* 2 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
* 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
* 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon pepper
* 6 eggs
* 8 slices bread, cubed, divided
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

* In a large skillet, sauté the peppers, onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Drain; pat dry and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the yellow squash, zucchini and mushrooms in remaining oil until tender. Drain; pat dry and set aside.
* In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, cream, salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in eggs. Stir in vegetables, half of the bread cubes and Swiss cheese. Arrange the remaining bread cubes in a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Pour egg mixture into pan.
* Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides. Cut into wedges. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 piece) equals 351 calories, 24 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 181 mg cholesterol, 747 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 16 g protein.

Photo Source:  Taste of Home

Dear Ann Landers: My five-year old asked me tonight how I got a baby. I don’t think I handled it well.

Christian: Mom, how do you get a baby?
Me: What do you mean?
Christian: You know, how did you get me inside your tummy when I was a baby?
Me:  Well, it’s like a seed.  You, know.  A seed.
Christian:  Like a garden seed?
Me:  Exactly.
Christian:  What does it look like, what kind of seed?
Me:  Well, like a seed. . .that looks like a Goober.
Christian:  Like the candy Goober?
Me:  Exactly
Me:  I think I hear my phone ringing.
Christian:  OK, thanks mom.  Really a Goober?
Me:  (No longer in the room)

Well, I’ve been holding off making big reports about how the “New Year’s Nine” challenge is going –but it’s been a “clean” two weeks and I definitely think I can report some results.    And, I’m also hoping to compare this eating plan to the Taco Bell “Drive Through Diet.”  Has anyone seen that campaign.?  Weird.  Jared and Subway was one thing, but I’m not sure I can get on board with a similar Taco Bell concept—although I think it’s great that Taco Bell is promoting healthier eating.

But, I’ve heard a rumor that the woman lives 10 miles away from the local Taco Bell and her husband tied a rope around her waist every night and made her jog the 10 miles behind their truck before she got to eat anything she ordered at the drive-thru window.  Which, I guess she technically could order at the drive-thru window because she was attached to the truck.  OK, I may have made that up – but it is about the only story that would make me think she’s credible and not just a pawn for Taco Bell to rip-off the Subway concept.

Getting back to me (like it should be),  I’d have to say I feel great –sort of like many of those many stints I had during pregnancy where I was eating healthy for my babies and people said I was glowing.  And, as I look in the mirror this morning – glowing feels like a good adjective for both my face and attitude.   I’ve been sticking to eating nine different fruits of veggies each day, eating a diverse mix and truly feel I’m getting the benefits of what they call the rainbow effect.   Some of my favorite veggies and fruits have included:

• Beets
• Sweet Potatoes
• Clementines
• Tangerines
• Broccoli
• Lots o’ Lettuce
• Onions – all colors
• Mushrooms
• Celery
• Carrots
• Corn
• Peaches
• Salsa
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Cherries
• Bananas
• Things at my favorite Thai restaurant I can’t identify, yet the food server tells me are fruits and veggies (twiggy things, green beany looking things. etc)

It’s great progress for me because last year, I think I may have eaten each of these items maybe once last year.  Very sad.  I was on the typical:  eat no breakfast, maybe get a really big, high calorie lunch at a restaurant, crash at 3 pm and eat pop and candy to stay alert, go home, fix dinner for the family yet not eating much myself and then staying up late and eating a ton because I was finally starving again.  Not good.  And, not happening anymore.

On the “jury is still out there” side of things, I’ve not lost any weight –and, on some days –depending on how much fiber content I get – I actually feel super poochy.  This has been hard to understand and I do admit that I’ve been disappointed.  So, I talked this through with a couple of my dietitian friends and used my SparkPeople (www.sparkpeople.com) analysis. I found that I’m defiantly not watching portions like I should.  And this combined with the fact that I recently suffered a severe back injury and my exercise has been limited until this past week.  So, it all makes sense.
So, moving forward, I’m going to focus on smaller portions and eliminating the overuse of dressing and sauces I’ve been enjoying on many of my salads and veggie servings.

I am not giving up because feeling healthy and well was a big goal, too.  And, I’ve really enjoyed writing about my journey.  The response to the blog has been great.  I invite you to continue to follow and hopefully enjoy reading my silly and sometimes even “gross” blog entries.   Please send recipes, because I love, love to cook – especially things that have 9 or more fruits and/veggies in one dish.   It’s possible, and geez—a lot of those dishes DO taste good.

So, super poochy or not – I’m moving forward!

Dear Ann Landers:  Tonight I insisted that my 5-year old eat his applesauce for dinner and when he refused, I told him, “Wow, your life really stinks.”  He said, “No, my life doesn’t stink.  It’s the parents!!”  Geez.  What do you say to that?

Few foods make me make me think Ewww! (i.e. I’m eating beets for goodness sakes) and I also hate bashing products or businesses.  But, what – REALLY – was McDonald thinking when they launched the “MacWrap?”

Now, you might be asking why in the Sam Heck am I bringing this up because I’m suppose to be eating fruits and vegetables.  And, you are right—there are no serving of fruits and vegetables in the new MacWrap, unless you count the “special sauced” lettuce, which might account for 1/8 of a vegetable serving on a good day.  And, keep in mind that it’s so shriveled and brownish color–I can’t imagine there is much value.

The Mac Wrap comes in a steamed tortilla, carefully wrapped around all the core ingredients of the Big Mac:  the beef, cheese, lettuce, pickles and special sauce.  I was at McDonald to grab a quick salad (i.e. tired of paying $12 for a big salad everyday) and could not resist buying a MacWrap just to see what the heck was inside.  Was there two all beef patties spewing with special sauce from each end?  Nope, it was a half a patty, a tiny bit of every thing—although not one pickle was found!

Now before I officially “off’d” the MacWrap from my daily diet that day, I decided to give it a try.  As my grandma always said, “One bite won’t kill you.”  And, in the case of the MacWrap – that was true.  I’m still alive.  But, I’m sorry to say it was not tasty (putting it nicely).  Yes, maybe it saves you a few calories and is relatively cheap.  That’s all of the positive news I have to share about the MacWrap.

As I exited McDonald’s parking lot, I grabbed two dollars out of my purse and gave it to a man with a sign that said he needed money for food.   As I handed it to him I asked if he’d tried the new MacWrap.  He said he has refused to eat the MacWrap just on principle.  I asked him what he meant and he said, “that the Hispanic Community should boycott McDonalds for what they have done to reputation of the tortilla.”  I think that sums it all up folks.

PS – I do really like the Southwest Chicken Salad.  It’s decent for a fast food salad.

My five-year old told me today that, “Just because the dog thinks you are really great, doesn’t mean you should let that go to your head.  I have other ideas, ya know.”  (This all over not letting eat cookies for dinner)  So, I suppose I shouldn’t be so sure of myself is what he’s telling me.  Hmmmm.

They (i.e. the New Year resolution Gods) say that it takes 30 days for a behavior to become a habit.  So, I’m proud to declare that I’m almost half way to a habit.  And, I’m feeling pretty darn excited.  It’s been hard, especially since I’ve DRASTICALLY changed the way I eat, drink and some of my many bodily functions as a result.  (No, I’m not getting gross again—Booger day is over!).

One of my odd obsessions is picking my teeth.  I’ve definitely been doing that for more than 30 days and it’s a big habit (that is not so attractive according to a few people who are close to me).  I just can’t stand having things stuck between my pearly gates.  In fact, my co-workers gave me a tooth picking tool kit last year and I’ve been in Heaven ever since.  They said it was because they were grossed out every time the letter opener got stuck in my mouth.

So, why am I sharing this?  Well, it’s because this is definitely something that you should be aware of if you decide to follow my lead and eat a bunch of fruits and veggies.  Unlike a lot of “not so good for you foods,” fruits and veggies get stuck in your teeth unless you can master swallowing a cucumber or carrot whole.  So, even though your body is saying “yummy, thanks.”  People looking at a blackened piece of lettuce stuck in your front teeth are not thinking, “yummy.”  And, as we all know – once you have something like that happen to you. . .you never live it down.  It’s sort of like farting in junior high PE class.  I’m sure my classmates are still talking about the class period I did that during Sit-up Challenge Week.

Anyway, just be aware of your teeth if you are upping your fruit and veggie consumption.  They aren’t like those Fruit Loops you’ve probably been eating all these years.  You know. . .add milk and they dissolve like magic.  Not even Coca Cola will melt carrot chunks.

Anyway, enjoy your weekend!  My challenge to you (and myself) is to try not to blow whatever you are trying to achieve this fine year of 2010.  And, I’m signing off for now.  I think I can feel my dinner between my back molars.

OK – brace yourself because this is gross.  But, I can’t resist. . .

A few years ago a good dietitian friend of mine told me that research shows that during their lifetime, most kids eats eat more boogers that broccoli.  So, what does that mean?  If you picked your nose and “consumed it” when you were a kid. . .well, you get the idea.  And, if you have not stopped.  Well, there is no doubt that your broccoli to booger ratio is seriously imbalanced.

Why am I bringing this fact up?  First, if you can get past the gross factor—it’s an interesting statistic and a super fun thing to share at a party.  And, second—I promised to talk about low cal vegetables tonight.  I’m in search of them because I have found that just eating healthy foods is not good enough.  Your pants can still be tight if you don’t watch the amount of calories you consume.  And, last—I had broccoli for lunch.  So, the stuff was just on my mind.  (The broccoli part.  Not the boogers.)

So, I did some research and here are some ideas for getting your veggie servings every day without busting the banks (or your pants):

• 1 cup of romaine lettuce, 9 calories
• 1 cup of mushrooms cooked in no calorie cooking spray, 40 calories
  1 cup of radishes, 20 calorie
• 1 cup of spinach, 40 calories
• 1 medium tomato, 25 calories
• 1 cup of zucchini squash, 28 calories
• 1/2 large cucumber, 20 calories (about 5 ounces)
• 1 cup of celery, 20 calories
• 1 cup of cabbage, 32 calories
• 1 large carrot, 30 calories

And, please.  If you remember anything about this blog entry, remember this:  Not all crunchy greens are created equal OR stay away from things you have to eat off your finger.    Ewwww.

P.S. One great way to get a lot of these vegetables in a tasty way is to throw all of them into a tomato-based soup.  In fact, soup is one of my very favorite ways to eat cabbage—second only to putting lots of sauerkraut on pizza.  Here is a “busting with vegetables” soup that I have made before and I plan to make a giant batch this weekend:

Steph’s O Veggie Soup

6 cups chicken broth
Cooking spray
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 teaspoons garlic (from a jar or substitute four cloves minced garlic)
1/2 cabbage, chopped (or use a bag of slaw, the biggest chunks you can find vs the fine, don’t skip the cabbage for it somehow makes the soup)
1/2 pound frozen green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large zucchini, diced

Bring the broth to a boil in the microwave.

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to MEDIUM and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve and enjoy!

Dear Ann: How is it that my son says he can’t pick up his socks because he is too tired, yet five minutes later he is lugging massive amounts of water from the bathroom to the family room to prepare for a “surprise” experiment (that is yet to be disclosed)???