advent fellowship night #1

Every Wednesday evening in Advent we have Fellowship nights at church. 
This evening the social hall was brimming with over a hundred people...we eat soup, bread and desserts.  Then we take part in some sort of a craft.  Tonight folks painted little ceramic Christmas bulbs. 

At the end of the evening, we gather in the sanctuary for Advent Vespers. 
What a wonderful evening.  So many people...relationships being built, meals being shared...and families taking time to be family together....and the church family coming together to eat, be together, and worship together. 

I'm thankful that the bread I made yesterday was enjoyed this evening...I had a slice myself and it was delish. 

There's more dough in the fridge so I sense another loaf in the future...not to mention a parishioner gave me a bottle of wine this evening...so fresh bread, red wine.....and something else will make for a tasty dinner on Friday. 

In the meantime, I enjoyed a bowl of sausage something soup with my bread this evening. 
Lunch was tasty venison pot roast & veggies :)
Mid-morning snack: sugar-free, fat free vanilla latte and some almonds
Breakfast: Fried egg w/2 turkey sausage links with 2 coffees.  Well, 1 1/2 cups....as I was getting ready to leave I put my coffee down somewhere...I found it this evening when I was putting away my coat.  (oops) Apparently I put it down when I took my coat out this morning. 

And now...some tea and an episode of Arrested Development. 

Until tomorrow . . . and a trip to Hershey for dinner & a show...and definitely some chocolate.

crockpottin'

A day that started off sunny and in the mid 60's....and I walk home in the cold rain. 
A perfect day to walk in to a kitchen smelling of delicious roast which meant that dinner was ready. 

I started the day with a cup of coffee with fat free 1/2 & 1/2....followed by some oatmeal with 1/2 an apple and a handful of raisins.  (made with skim milk) 

I had a quick mile run on the treadmill...followed by that ever necessary 2nd cup of coffee.  (Perhaps that makes me an addict?) eh...two cups a day isn't that bad. 

Mid morning snack: a handful of peanuts.

Lunch: Ham and smoked gouda on a whole wheat wrap..with a touch of mustard. 

Afternoon snack: 1/2 apple with 1 TBS peanut butter.

and dinner.....a glass of red wine, alongside venison pot roast with sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms.  So yummy!  It makes lunch tomorrow and another meal to freeze...plus one meal for my boyfriend who gave me the venison and one for an older guy at church who after hearing about what I put in the crockpot this morning asked when the venison dinner would be. 

I'm finishing up that wine and watching West Side Story as I wait for bread dough to rise before it goes in the oven.  It's been a good day. 

I anticipate some popcorn shortly....and a cup of tea with honey and lemon later. 

Until tomorrow . . .


For those who are interested this is how I made the roast:

2 sweet potatoes in large cubes
3 carrot sticks (cut into thirds)
a handful of celery
one onion in large chunks
and some left over mushrooms

put all veggies in the crockpot.
drizzle with evoo and season with salt & pepper
add 1/2 cup wine (red or white should do)

put the roast on top.
spread one can of cream of mushroom soup on the roast (it's like frosting really)
sprinkle one packet of onion soup mix over the soup (sticking with the dessert illustration this would be your sprinkles)

I turned the crockpot on low at 8:45am.....and turned it off at 4:30pm.  If you're a crockpot cooker you know your crockpot and it's settings....don't quote me on these times, they worked for me today with this cut of meat.

monday, monday.

Just got home from a council meeting...somehow the budget conversation, even though there were periods of deafening silence....lasted for over an hour and a half. It's the same struggles that many churches face....concerns about giving....wanting to grow and expand in the future but the staff is already doing so much...we will push forward and see how things go with the congregation in two weeks.

I had the urge for a huge bowl of popcorn when I got home, not that I was even hungry, but I passed on a slice of birthday cake that others were having after the meeting and was just craving something.  That's when I realized that the evening snacking I've done in the past is a way to mellow out after a long day.  It's easy to grab a cookie or 5 .... or to open a bag of chips and consume way more than a single serving...I had the pot out to make the popcorn and had to say (out loud) you're not even hungry!  Geesh....I made a cup of tea w/honey and enjoyed 3 pieces of a dark chocolate with tiny toffee bits.  I'm thinking tomorrow night is movie night and that is when I'll have a popcorn snack.

Other than that, I had a great eating day.
It was off to a great start when the scale read: 151.2 and nope, that's not a typo....and I don't think my scale is broken...but that's the same as it was last week...and the week before. 
So, I'm holding steady.  Which is a good thing.  After a week of being sickly, then being even sicker and having some Thanksgiving splurges, I'm happy to be where I'm at. 


Breakfast was scrambled eggs and two slices of bacon at breakfast bible study.  With 2 1/2 cups of coffee with skim milk....I was at the end of the 1/2 and 1/2 :(

Mid-morning snack: mixed nuts

Lunch: open faced ham & cheese on homemade whole wheat w/mustard and a seltzer.

Mid-afternoon snack: 1/2 an apple with peanut butter

Dinner: leftover blackened salmon with green beans, craw fish tales and a baked sweet potato.  (still yum...even without the deep fried cornbread)

And that was the day.  I also did a much better job hydrating today....multiple nalgenes were consumed.  So the whole being hydrated thing also feels good.  I'm off to bed so I can get longer than a 1 mile run in before heading to the office.  Oh...and I'm excited for tomorrow night's dinner already.  The venison roast is thawing....the crock pot is already filled with sweet potatoes, carrots, celery and mushrooms....I add the roast in the morning and come home to dinner.  I heart easy dinners :)

Until tomorrow . . .

3rd Thanksgiving and the day after.

At one point I felt like I feasted like a champ yesterday, but in retrospect....it doesn't look all that bad.

Breakfast was a large espresso with low fat 1/2 & 1/2.  It went very well with a 2 egg omelet with a Mexican blend of shredded cheese and 2 turkey sausage links.  (Thanks for making breakfast, Billy.)

A late lunch consisted of goat cheese, whole wheat crackers, baked brie with honey drizzled on it served with pear and apple slices.  I had three mini puff pasty apps....that's what I could have skipped...but oh well, it was Thanksgiving.  Oh, and several green olives stuffed with feta and blue cheese.  Two glasses of Shiraz were sipped throughout the afternoon.  I also enjoyed a small bowl of escarole soup.  (So delish!!!!)

Dinner was Turkey (at 6:30....and I was ready to eat!)  Some stuffing, mashed potatoes (which were to die for.... 1) because I was breaking a potato fast and 2) because they tasted like butter (another thing I haven't had in a while.) 1/2 a sweet potato, a spoonful of green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts with bacon and a bit of gravy.  And another glass of wine.  Followed by a glass of diet ginger ale. 

I enjoyed a slice of pumpkin pie with ready whip for dessert and bite of pecan pie.


So all in all...if you look at it from a south beach phase two perspective...the extras were: one glass of wine, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy.  But it is what it is...and really, my plate didn't contain a mountain of mashed potatoes and stuffing...it was just a spoonful of each and I passed on the large white bakery rolls with butter.  I did feel really full at the end of dinner.

When I got home I had a cup of tea with lemon and a teaspoon of honey.

Today I had my regular 2 cups of coffee with fat free 1/2 & 1/2, and a fried egg with some ham.
Lunch was a bowl of beef vegetable soup at potluck.  I could strain out the potatoes but the corn was tricky....you sneaky kernels, you!  I also chomped on a cheese stick.

The real bites of bread at communion are still chewy delicious! 

After a sweet 2 mile run, I had half an apple with a TBS of peanut butter.

Dinner was leftovers from yesterday.....well, just some of the leftovers.  A bowl of soup, some turkey and a sweet potato.

After several days where dessert was just part of the meal, I was craving something sweet.  I had a few squares from an organic dark chocolate bar with toffee bits.  Just enough to curb the desire for pie....which, I'm glad I didn't take home with the leftovers because I totally would've eaten it today.

And now with a cup of tea (w/honey & lemon) in my belly, I'm ready for bed.

Tomorrow is a weigh-in day....and while I'm really curious about it, I know I'm already back to healthier eating after the weekend...so I'm ready for a good week.  And the other thing is that the Thanksgiving meals this week, were less about the food and more about the fellowship around that table and family....and those two things are far more important than whatever number shows up on the scale in the morning.

Until tomorrow . . .

deep. fried. cornbread.

So, I guess there comes a time, when after a while of changing your eating habits, that you fall off the wagon.

I'm proud to day that it wasn't yesterday.

I got up had a few cups of coffee w/ fat free 1/2 & 1/2 and an egg scramble loaded with turkey sausage, ham, green peppers, red onions and smoked gouda.  (It was with two eggs...and I ate half and expected to save the other half for breakfast today...well that didn't happen.

After a 2.1 mile run with a mile walk interspersed in throughout I snacked on an apple w/peanut butter and downed a nalgene of water.

I had the second half of breakfast with another cup of coffee with more 1/2 and 1/2....as I watched some Wallace and Gromit.

Then I headed across the street for a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat. And let me just say...it didn't feel like home away from home.  It felt like home.  Which is a really cool feeling.  It was like I was meant to be there.  I'm super thankful for the space I had at their family table, the feast they shared and the warm welcome.

I had some snacks of whole wheat crackers and celery sticks with cream cheese olive dip and some olives & pickles.
Alongside a glass of white wine I enjoyed some turkey, brussels sprouts, green bean casserole and a small scoop of stuffing with cranberries.  After a brief respite and some joke telling, I had a sliver of apple pie with freshly whipped cream and a sliver of key lime cheese cake :) yum...with a side of coffee....

And then: to the movies!  The Muppets was excellent! (I shied away from snacks there...because I was still super full from dinner.  I did have some sugar free candies to stifle the still lingering cough.

When I got home I popped in Chicken Run and had some sleepy time tea before passing out happy and full. :)

Today started off really well...oatmeal made with skim milk a sprinkle of splenda and a 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries.  It was breakfast, and if you haven't figured it out by now, there was coffee with fat free 1/2 & 1/2. 

I then just snacked my way through the day.  A south beach protein cereal bar, a cheese stick...another cup of coffee and ran some errands.  Later there was a snack of cheese and crackers and some diet ginger ale. 

And then came dinner....
At the French Quarter Bistro they have many tasty beers on tap.
We started with a Three Philosophers Quadrupel :)
It helped keep the palate cool alongside the firecracker shrimp pictured below. 

We passed on the white rice, but enjoyed the last of that spicy sauce with some fresh baked cornbread.

When dinner came, we paired it with some sort of Noel brew....it was an 11% one...I should have written the name down, but I was completely distracted by my dinner. 

Blackened salmon, topped with craw fish tales in a bourbon sauce, over tasty green beans.  It was all on top of, get this, deep fried cornbread!  Holy yummyness. 

I saw it on the menu and thought...oh good gravy, that's a double no...a corn product....deep fried. 
But it was so good!  Well worth the splurge.  I mean if you're fall off the wagon...you might as well do it with a cannon ball...or a swan dive...I mean really go for it! 

If you're every around for a visit...let me know, this is a great place for a bite to eat. 

I'm just sipping some more sugar-free ginger ale before I go into sweet dreamland about this scrumptious dinner.

Until tomorrow . . .

thankful.

One of the closing prayers from my morning devotions:

Almighty and gracious God, I give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them.  Make me, I pray, a faithful steward of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

As the year is soon to draw to a close, I've had the opportunity to reflect on all that this past year has offered.  It's been a zany years with super high highs...and ultra low lows.  I'm truly thankful this day for all the people that God has placed in my life this past year.  Both those who hugged me and laughed and saw me cry up close...and those who followed my journey via my blog, tweets and facebook posts. 

May we all see the presence of God in our lives and our world breaking through to us in the most obscure and unexpected moments.  As we look back and look forward, may we pause to give thanks for all the blessings bestowed on each of us...and may we be blessed with opportunities to share those blessings and grace with others.

Happy Thanksgiving.

gobble gobble.

Hush.

Yesterday....another day home...with some laundry and cutting out stars.
It's for my advent practice of praying for someone different each day during my daily prayers.  Now that they are all painted and cut out, they just need names attached. 

I had 2 cups of coffee with fat-free 1/2 & 1/2 alongside an egg scrambled with smoked gouda, red peppers, and smoked turkey sausage. 

Mid-morning snack: and apple with 1 TBS of peanut butter.

Lunch was an open faced sandwich of lebanon bologna and mozzarella cheese and a bit of honey mustard on my homemade whole wheat. 

Dinner was chicken with pomegranate chipotle glaze and whole wheat orzo and wild rice with broccoli. 

I drank 4 pots of herbal tea throughout the day. 

And with my post dinner snack of popcorn lightly salted and dusted with parmesean cheese (homemade smartfood) I had a crystal light raspberry iced green tea.  I ate it as I watched my themed Buffy episode for the day: Hush.  (the one where they all loose their voices....totally appropriate for me.)


And this morning...I had a voice!

After two days off from a three day week...it was non stop officey things today. 
Luckily I had the support of the Muppet channel on Sirius radio. (Thanks, Billy).  I only chuckled out loud a dozen or so times. 

I did enjoy an egg scramble with smoked gouda, turkey sausage, and green peppers. With two cups of coffee with fat-free 1/2 and 1/2. 

My mid-morning snack was a handful of mixed nuts.  (tee hee)

Lunch was tasty chicken salad dressed in smoked paprika dip with celery and grapes :) on a bed of mixed greens.  And a cup of lemon tea. 

Dinner was some leftovers....chopped up chicken breast with pomegranate chipotle glaze mixed with broccoli and whole wheat orzo & wild rice and a raspberry seltzer.  

I'm sure I'll have  small snack after the Thanksgiving Eve service.  The trick will be staying away from the cookies at the reception. 

I have to admit, last night was the best night of sleep this week.  I think that the coughing is no longer waking me up....and hearing the alarm this morning woke me out of a deep sleep.  I have to admit, I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. 

I'm also tempted to take on the challenge of a mile a day until New Years.  Since I'm still in recovery mode, tomorrow may have to be a mile walking on the treadmill rather than running....but it's a mile none the less. 

Until turkey day . . .

marathon post.

I had the most excellent weekend with my boyfriend, parents and sister. 

Friday, I had the chance to do some serious housecleaning.  It was way overdue.  The house is still in the process of renovations.  The drywall process left everything with a serious layer of dust.  I finally found the hardwood floors under all of that. 
I went out to breakfast with my boyfriend and enjoyed a western omelet with cheese, two coffees with skim milk and a fruit cup.  (I really like that phase 2 brings some fruit back into the ol' diet.) 

That was a pretty big breakfast for little ol' me.  So lunch was much later in the afternoon and consisted of whole wheat crackers, smoked gouda and pepperoni. 

Dinner was PIZZA! (It's been a while since I've had pizza, and boy have I missed it!)  I tried a new crust recipe made entirely with whole wheat flour.  It was quite tasty, even my dad liked it. 
Mom and I loaded up the crust with sweet turkey sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, black onions and mozzarella cheese.

I had three slices for dinner, with a side salad with vinaigrette dressing and 2 glasses of red wine. 

Saturday: I woke up realizing I was still battling a cold of sorts.  Yet, I did get out for a 2.2 mile run.  The first chunk was with my mom....and while it was tough, it felt good to shake all the gunk out of my system.  I refueled with 1/2 cup of oatmeal (made with skim milk) with 1/4 shredded apple, some raisins and a sprinkle of splenda. and 2 cups of coffee with fat free half and half. 

Lunch was at the Fairgrounds market.  Tasty pork w/refried beans, lettuce, tomato and sour cream with a Diet Dr. Pepper. 

Snack was at the Women's Ornament Exchange at church.  A few slices of colby jack cheese and some apples and grapes.  I sipped some orange tea with lemon as we politely snatched ornaments from one another until we were all swapped out. 

Dinner was fresh salmon from the market with a pomegranate chipotle glaze with baked yams, broccoli, and a wild rice pilaf (w/whole wheat orzo.) and 2 glasses of red wine.  (yum.)
It was early to bed that night with an early wake up scheduled for the next morning...but I sipped some herbal tea with lemon and honey before calling it a night. 

Marathon Sunday!
We were up at 3:30am!  Eep!  But we made it to Philly and into the parking garage before they closed the streets at 6am!  (Whew! Thanks to some motivational driving by Billy.) 
I sipped a few cups of coffee w/fat free 1/2 and 1/2 on the way. 

We met up with my sister pre-race and she looked ready to run! 
At some point while cheering folks on I sipped some water and snacked on a cheese stick. 

After seeing her at miles 9, 12 and 14....Billy and I took a brunch break.
We split a whole wheat wrap filled with apple chicken sausage, egg and cheddar cheese and an egg, swiss and bacon sammie on whole grain bread.  (yum times two.)

Dinner was much later....after the race...we had our family Thanksgiving dinner at Fado in Philly. 
I sipped on a Smithwicks and enjoyed some potato type pitas with spinach and cheese dip. 
I had a pear and blue cheese salad with walnuts, vinaigrette and grilled chicken. 

I tried to watch the Muppets Wizard of Oz, but fell asleep somewhere in the middle. 

Monday:
Weigh in day- 151.2 (exactly where I was last week) 

I had a cup of coffee w/ skim milk and splenda, 1/2 cup of oatmeal (made with skim milk) with 1/2 an apple shredded and a handful of raisins tossed in.  With the apple and raisins, I've decided that no splenda is needed.  It's sweet enough. 

Then I went to the doctor, because my voice wasn't at full force.  Got a prescription for antibiotics, went to CVS and loaded up on pain reliever, cough drops and syrup and headed home. 
I put in the Muppets Wizard of Oz...and this time slept through a different part of it.  (Maybe one day I'll see the whole thing....) 
I had a late lunch of an egg scrambled with red pepper, sweet turkey sausage and smoked gouda. 
I had multiple cups of tea throughout the day with lemon and honey. 
Snack was 1 1/2 apples with a TBS of peanut butter. 
Dinner was an open face sandwich on homemade honey whole wheat bread with mozzarella cheese and lebanon bologna.  I also sipped an entire can of beef broth...it was super soothing on the throat.  Although my voice, at that point, sounded like a cartoon character.  ;) 
I had a pot of sleepy time tea with lemon and honey before falling asleep during Despicable Me. 

And that brings us to today.  My voice is less cartooney, and more raspy...but hopefully I'm on the mend. 

We'll see what the rest of the day brings.

Until later . . . 

chicken salad (first time I've made it....no really)

It was another day just slightly under the weather...so sleep trumped the elliptical.  But an early night tonight and a chance to sleep in tomorrow...are two great things that taste great together!

Breakfast: 2 coffees with skim milk, a fried egg and 2 turkey sausage links.

Mid-morning snack: apple w/1 TBS peanut butter (could be my new favorite snack!)

Lunch: chicken salad (the diced chicken and celery was coated in leftover tastefully simple spinach and dill dip which was a combo of mayo and greek yogurt.) It was delicious!  I can't wait to try it with the smoked paprika and garlic dip.  7 whole grain crackers and some strawberries.

Late-afternoon snack: South Beach protein cereal bar. 

Dinner: Leftover chicken sauteed with mushrooms...I wasn't too hungry because of the late afternoon snack. 

During choir I sipped some acai herbal tea....and now I'm curled up with some sugar free hot chocolate and an episode of Buffy.  A good way to bring this day to a close. 

Looking forward to a day off tomorrow and a chance to get some of this dust (from all the drywall work) off the floors! 


Until tomorrow . . .

ham :)

Sometimes a fire and George Winston is just a good way to end the day.  It's been a cold and rainy day...and I've had the song Like the Weather (10,000 Maniacs) in my head all day.  That could be because I heard it first thing this morning and it just fit the day.
I seem to have taken on another cold :(
A bit of a sore throat and congestion at the beginning of the day and at the end.  I was not up for a workout this morning but I'm hoping to feel a bit better in the morning.  My legs are still a bit achy from running two days in a row this week after not having run for 2 weeks.

I enjoyed two fried eggs this morning with 2 turkey sausage links and a cup of fresh strawberries.  Alongside my 2 cups of coffee with skim milk.  (I've decided I can do without the splenda in the coffee.  I'm not a big fan of artificial sweeteners.)

I had a peanuts as a mid morning snack.

Lunch was out at the local tavern for our ministerium meeting.  Today's lunch buffet was ham (my fave!!!) and a chopped veggie salad (cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, carrots, cukes all in a sweet n sour dressing.)  I passed on the au gratin potatoes, bread and dessert. 

Mid-afternoon snack: a cheese stick & diet crystal light green tea.

Got home from work and to combat the cold and rain I had a sugar free hot chocolate.  It helped keep my spirits up while I paid the bills.
 
Dinner was chicken & mushrooms in a splash of white wine, steamed broccoli and a glass of white wine. 

The picture doesn't really do it justice...but you can see that it was all dusted with some Parmesan cheese. 

Now for some catching up on facebook and bed....the sleepy time tea will help with the latter. 

Until tomorrow . . .

taking time to look back.

So, the cool thing I did this morning, after sleeping in a bit....but before going out for a 3.1 mile run (since it was 60 degrees out this morning!!!) was look at my food journal from over the summer.  Not just what I ate, but also to look at my weight fluctuation over the past several months. I lost a bit of weight as my biking & running intensified..but I could not seem to break below 156.  I hit 156 the week before VBS...and in those pictures I realized that I had lost some weight.  I seemed to hover mostly between 160 and 158 ish...give or take a few pounds depending on the week. 
The first time I weighed in was May 1st at 167. 
This weekend I was at 151.
That's a total of 16 pounds!  Now that feels awesome! 
Now that I've moved into phase 2 of South Beach, I know the weight won't come off as quickly as it did that during the 2 weeks of phase one, but I'm ready to slowly work in healthier carbs and keep the sugar intake low. 

Today I enjoyed 1/2 cup of oatmeal for breakfast with skim milk, 1/4 of shredded apple, a dash of cinnamon and 1/2  a splenda packet and 2 cups of coffee w/ skim milk. 

Mid-morning snack was a cheese stick as I ran errands before going into the office. 

Lunch was the last of the tasty venison chili.  You know, sometimes it's fun to cook without a recipe.  This awesome pot of chili came out without a recipe...but now I won't be able to replicate it exactly...oh well.  I'm sure the next pot will be just as tasty in it's own way. 

Mid-afternoon snack: South Beach cereal bar (packed with protein and a hint of cranberries & almonds).
Decaf chai tea w/ skim milk

Dinner: Spaghetti squash with that tasty, spicy venison sausage tomato sauce. 
Relaxing tonight with some sleepy time tea. 

Spaghetti squash could be my new favorite meal.  It's super delicious with zesty meat sauce....I see more of that on the menu next week. 
In the meantime I need to find some tasty marinades to dress up some chicken breasts for dinner tomorrow and Thursday. 


Until tomorrow . . .

3-fer

I need to blog daily...these catching up days are tricky....
Saturday:
Breakfast:  2 coffees with skim milk, scrambled egg w/mushrooms, peppers, onions and a bit o' bacon
lunch: left over (and just as tasty the next day) chicken capri
Snack: low fat sugar-free white chocolate latte and peanuts & cashews. (gesundheit)
Dinner: Club soda w/lime, salad with vinaigrette, filet Mignon, broccoli and ....  wait for it .... no really .... a slice cheesecake.  It came with dinner....and coffee w/cream.  I mean, I couldn't pass it up.  It was tasty. 

Sunday:
Breakfast: Hard boiled egg & cheese stick (2 coffees w/skim milk)

L: Pumpkin hummus w/ fresh veggies, chicken chili (w/pumpkin) and bean soup w/ pumpkin and some roast beef.  What can I say...I was at the Iron Chef Potluck at church.  Secret ingredient: Pumpkin. 

Afternoon sweet treat: Sugar-free hot chocolate.

D: Fresh cauliflower, pepper & cuke w/low fat dip.  (made w/ mayo & greek yogurt & spinach dill dip mix)
Spaghetti squash w/tasty red sauce w/ hot pepper flakes and venison sausage. :) 

And today.....I weighed in first thing this morning:  151.2
A few more pounds down and I'm definitely feeling a difference. 
I'm also super happy to be done with that terrible cold and ran 2.2 miles this morning.  It'll be nice to have regular workouts again.  :) 

I enjoyed 1/2 C of whole grain oatmeal w/skim milk, a bit of shredded apple, cinnamon, vanilla and splenda.  Yum.  2 cups of coffee with skim milk in the morning...and a third with a friend as we drove to a meeting. 

mid-morning snack: 1/4 cup peanuts & cashews

Lunch was turkey & swiss with lettuce & tomato and a bit of italian dressing...I passed on the bulky bun, oreos and chips.  I did have a diet ginger ale.

Afternoon snack another 1/4 cup of peanuts & cashews. 

Dinner: The last of the chicken capri...with the left over venison sausage pasta sauce :)  super yum...with some steamed broccoli.  

Until tomorrow....

a 2-fer

Thursday:
Breakfast: 2 coffees with skim milk, fried egg with two turkey sausages link
Lunch: large salad w/ cukes, peppers, sweet balogna, mozzarella and italian dressing
Snack: celery stalk with natural peanut butter
Dinner: This was the challenge...out to dinner with folks from church.  Dinner and a show is their thank you to the pastoral staff.  We headed out to an Italian Restaurant...and I had thought I would end up with a big salad of some sort, but instead had a side salad alongside grilled salmon topped with artichokes and spinach in garlic olive oil.....and the veggies of the day (cauliflower, broccoli and summer squash) definitely in butter...but that's okay.  I did pass on the slice of ice cream cake that everyone else enjoyed for an anniversary celebration within the group.  I had some coffee with splenda. 

In other news...A Christmas Story: The musical!  Is pretty good.  I enjoyed it more than the movie, actually.  It's a great adaptation from the book. 

I did treat myself to a sugar-free hot chocolate when I got home to meet the needs of my sweet truth. 

Today:
Fried egg and a turkey sausage link....and two cups of coffee with skim milk. 

After fighting this cold for way too long, I was truly thankful for the opportunity to walk with a dear friend of mine.  We were both in need of fresh air, a good walk and great conversation. 
Another highlight from today was a positive shopping experience.  A few new pairs of pants, tops and a new pair of shoes were in order.  The two scarves and earrings were a fun treat to myself...for working really hard with running and exercising over the summer and fall...and for sticking to phase one of south beach.  I should say that my sister recommended taking a trip to South Beach when I hit my goal....of eating healthy/weight loss.  I like that idea :)

Lunch was a tasty bowl of homemade chili and a diet snapple green tree.

After a new cut and color at the salon, I came home to make a new tasty dinner.
Chicken Capri: Chicken breasts....pan seared then put in a baking dish, topped with part-skim ricotta (seasoned with oregano & basil, salt & pepper) then covered in some crushed tomatoes and covered with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Then baked fro 20 minutes or so until the chicken is completely done and the cheese looks melty.  It was yummy with a side of steamed broccoli. 

I'm thinking there will be a cup of sugar free hot chocolate soon....

and perhaps some veggies and dip....

Until tomorrow . . .

today's eats

Breakfast: fried egg and two turkey sausages :)
2 cups of coffee with skim milk...and a successful walk to work with the new ceramic travel mug.

Mid-morning snack: cheese stick

Lunch: with colleagues at a local restaurant....I went with the large chopped salad with grilled chicken.  I picked off the potato sticks...but didn't weed out the shredded carrot bits....

Dinner: Leftover chicken mole w/refried beans :)  and a snapple peach diet iced tea.

I went snack free at the Hershey Bears Hockey Game.....the toughest thing to pass: dessert nachos.  (just have to wait until next time)

I should add that the past few days I've also been passing the time with sugar free halls vitamin C drops....to soothe the throat and get the extra C. 

And now a cup of sleepy time tea....like I even need it.

Until tomorrow . . .

yesterday's eats

Pre-breakfast coffee at home with skim milk & splenda
Breakfast: two fried eggs and a ham steak at the diner...with a black coffee.

Late morning: Sugar free hot chocolate. 

Worked through lunch...(I know...not good....should have brought a snack of a yogurt or cheese stick...)but downed a nalgene full of water :)

Dinner was a tasty homemade chicken mole.  (Straight out of the South Beach cookbook)  It will be made again....last night it was with a side of refried beans :) 

The company for breakfast & dinner couldn't be beat!

Until later . . .

sick day

So I've been battling a cold over the weekend and today it's gotten the better of me.

I did get on the scale first thing today: 153.8
So, I lost some weight last week.... :) 

The sad thing is that today was not a good eating day. 

I had a few cups of coffee with skim milk alongside two fried eggs and two pieces of bacon at breakfast bible study. 

Followed by a cup of herbal tea.  And a stellar 2 hour nap. 

In between episodes of Buffy I sipped on 16 oz of sugar free grape Kool-aid....the only thing that really tastes good right now. (How weird is that?) 

I my tummy has been growling, so I sauteed up a chicken breast (seasoned with Adobo) and some mushrooms....at the last minute I added a splash of water and some broccoli spears and to steam. 
I am proud to say I ate the whole thing with some mozzarella cheese melted over the top. 
Now with a full belly, and another tall glass of the grape stuff next to me I can take my night time meds.  (I didn't think taking them on an empty stomach would be a good thing.) 

I'll let you know tomorrow if I eat anything else.  I will have some tea and perhaps some sugar free hot chocolate if I need something sweet-ish. 

Until tomorrow . . .

ps.  Marley has been a great napping buddy today.  I just couldn't get her to make dinner....

just a bit of bread...and a sip of wine

Today was a looooong day.
 
Breakfast: cup of coffee with skim milk and an egg scramble w/mushrooms, green peppers & mozzarella cheese. 
A second cup of coffee with some hazelnut splenda and some sugar free cocoa...a tasty mocha to get me ready for church :) 

The off the limit food for today was partaking of the bread and wine at communion.  But what a sacred moment it was...during both services as we remembered the saints who had gone before us and those still with us this day.  There were tears and smiles as we broke bread and sang hymns and prayed for one another. 

Had some tasty chili with cheddar cheese for lunch with the confirmation youth. 

A quick break between fundocy and contemporary worship meant some diet iced tea and some string cheese. 

And a quick dinner of cauliflower soup and pepper sticks with hummus between contemporary worship and the Simpsons youth event.

And now a mug of sleepy time tea, an episode of Buffy and off to bed.  I'm completely sucked into season 7... I forgot how much the episodes tied into each other...and also how randomly goofy a few of them have been. 

Until tomorrow . . .

got my fill of veggies today :)

A good night's sleep makes a world of difference. 
That and a day off (well most of a day) also does a body good. 
Okay, a good night's sleep, a chunk of a day off....and some mucinex and cough syrup...makes for a me that's starting to feel better. 

I enjoyed a breakfast of french press coffee with skim milk and an egg scramble with green peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese :)...and a double batch means I can just microwave breakfast before church. 
Lunch was the last of the tasty falafels with some peppers and hummus....and a side of crystal light raspberry green tea.
Dinner. was. awesome.  Tasty cauliflower soup and a big salad with cukes, green pepper, broccoli, and a slice of turkey, mozz and sweet bologna with some vinaigrette dressing.

In other news...how lucky am I to have such a great vocation that supporting youth in sports meets and drama shows is part of what I get to do.  (I love it!) I enjoyed the high school drama show tonight...and sat with fun folks from church....good times. 
Now bring on some hot chocolate (sugar free) (another bonus find at BB's) and an episode of Buffy and my day is done.

Until tomorrow . . .

late night snack.

A long day....
A quick hospital visit meant breakfast on the run. Luckily I had a hard-boiled egg....and I grabbed it, not one of the 8 raw ones (phew) and a cup of coffee with skim milk.  Had I been really thinking I would have grabbed a cheese stick, too, for the walking woman's omelette.

Lunch was at church for the funeral dinner.  Woah...Berks County does carbs and does carbs really well.  So, I had ham....and......green beans.  And a hot tea with Splenda.  (No potatoes with cheese, pasta with cheese or corn.  And absolutely no desserts.) 

A snack of a cheese stick later followed by some freshly made cauliflower soup.  Super simple and quite tasty. 

Dinner was some leftover falafels with greek yogurt.  I had just a pepper slice at a party this evening, because I ate first and passed on the snackables. 

At the end of 5th Quarter I came home for some sugar-free hot chocolate and some string cheese.
And now for bed...

Until tomorrow. . .

loved dinner, then read the ingredients...

Breakfast: Earl Grey tea with skim milk and Splenda
A tasty egg scramble with pork, green peppers, and mozzarella cheese :)

Lunch was more tasty chili and crystal light raspberry iced tea.

An afternoon snack of some string cheese. (i love me some string cheese)

I enjoyed an outing to the local farm stand...they still have cauliflower bigger than my head...so there will be soup tomorrow.  Then to the local bargain grocery and picked up some tasty stuff.  I do have to admit that I bought a peppermint stick log thing from Friendlys :) It'll be a special treat for the holidays.  I should admit here and now that I love peppermint stick ice cream.  It's a new found favorite of mine...and I have a tendency to forget about it come December...being busy with Advent and all....so when I found the peppermint stick log I picked it right up.  It's in the downstairs freezer with another gallon of peppermint stick that I found a while back at the same discount store.  I tried to hide it under the fat free greek yogurt.  ;)

Dinner tonight was super delicious.  I got whole foods hummus, and had some celery and peppers with hummus as an app....while the falafel mix began to set (no sugar in the mix, I might add.)
I was so excited for the falafels....so I started making them...then diced up some cucumber & mixed it into the plain greek yogurt, put it all on some lettuce and topped with with some hummus. 
(the picture doesn't capture the flavor)

I was enjoying this tasty dinner as I read the ingredients to the falafel mix.  Right after garbanzo beans came whole wheat flour.  (Oops!) I completely didn't see that as I picked up two packets of this stuff at the store.  I wonder if that's why they tasted so good...the flour.  Oh well, for a cheat day that was pretty lame.  I didn't have one cookie after tonight's meeting.  I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. 

And I'm getting used to herbal tea as I blog.  A fine way to end the day.

Until tomorrow . . .

the first of two house parties...

Breakfast: egg scramble with green pepper, diced pork chop and mozzarella cheese :)
2 coffees with skim milk & splenda

Morning snack: cashews and peanuts

Lunch: Eggplant lasagna & radishes (A strange combo, I know...but I'm working on getting more veggies in daily...and the radishes were still tasty from the market a few weeks ago) crystal light green raspberry tea

Afternoon snack 1/2 cuke with hummus

Dinner (this is where is doesn't go so well...as I was at a jewelry party....well the jewelry went very well..the eating...eh...) I had several stuffed olives....like at least 5 or 6 and they were jumbo! More cashews :)  A taste of two different cheese dips and lots and lots of water.  (& a crystal light candy)
On the way home I had a cheese stick and the other 1/2 of the cuke. 

This did not make for a great end to the day. 

I'm headed to a pampered chef party on Friday that also happens around dinner time.  I need to make sure I eat a good meal first and am not dependent on the snacks to carry me through.  On the other hand, it was easy to tell folks that I was on Phase one of South Beach, so I could not have any carbs or sweets...I was okay walking by the dessert table.  I only did a double take on the chocolate covered pretzels. 

Until tomorrow . . .

chocolate chip cookies.

Day two and all is well.

An early cup of coffee with some skim milk & splenda.

A tasty breakfast out with my boyfriend. 
I enjoyed a 3 egg omelette with tomato and feta cheese....and a slice of canadian bacon.  (yum)
And a black coffee...not my fave, but 1/2 & 1/2 was not an option. 

A mid-morning snack of peanuts & cashews and some herbal tea with splenda. 

Lunch was that tasty chili I made over the weekend.  Super delicious. 

A late afternoon snack of peanuts & cashews with a glass of V-8. 

Oh, I also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies for an event on Thursday.  So inhaling the smell of the dough was intoxicating...but I passed on tasting it. 

And dinner was the tasty lasagna again... :)  That may make an appearance at lunch tomorrow. 
I'm also looking forward to hummus & veggies! 

Until tomorrow  . . .