A Lovely Sunday

It's 23 degrees out and sunny and I couldn't be happier if it was 78 at the beach. My spirits are lifting by the minute. Earlier this morning, I fell asleep on the couch in the sun like a cat. I think we're all starving for a little UV. The sun is actually nutritious. We get vitamin D from sunlight. It's essential to bone health. And of course there is seasonal affective disorder. I'm looking out my office window right now, and I'm trying to envision my backyard all in green. I really miss the green. I could never live in the Southwest. I visited once, and I craved the green.

Today, I waited until about 11:00 to walk the dogs so that we could enjoy more of the sun. It was a pleasure to be out walking. I took Buddy a little further than I did yesterday. By the time all the snow is melted, the two of us should be able to go on very long walks. I can't wait.

I might not be able to try a new recipe next week. Papers are coming due and midterm grades need to be submitted very soon. So, I'm doing a second new recipe this week. I tried Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples and Leeks for lunch today. The apples and leeks were good, very interesting with a sweet and sour thing going on, but broiling the tenderloin really dried it out. I think I'll try this recipe again, but rather than broiling the tenderloin, next time I'll prepare it much as I did the tenderloin and spinach I did a while ago. And the flavors of the apples and the leeks should meld beautifully with the tenderloin. That just didn't happen cooked this way. Of course, it may have made a difference that my tenderloin was already in slices. It probably would have fared better if it was intact. But it doesn't make a lot of sense for me cooking for one to buy, let alone prepare that amount of meat at one time.

The recipe came from Fresh Flavor Fast: 250 Easy, Delicious Recipes for any Time of Day, which is a collection of recipes from Everyday Food. The recipe is on page 205.

Ingredients
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces washed well and dried.
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 Gala apples, cored, halved lengthwise and then crosswise, and cut 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar

Preparation
1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat source. On a rimmed baking sheet, rub pork with 1 tablespoon oil; generously season with salt and pepper. Broil until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers145°m 14to 18 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 10 minutes (internal temperature will rise about 5 degrees as it sits).

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Add leeks and fennel seeds; cook stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender, about 6 minutes. Add apples, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in honey and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice pork, and serve with apples and leeks.

This recipe serves 4 at 362 calories per serving.

Signs of Spring

This afternoon, Ken had to sign his tax forms, so we decided we'd go out of town and do some shopping afterwards. I walked the dogs this morning and fussed around the house. It was cold this morning when I walked the dogs at about 9:00. But about two hours later it was quite nice out. The birds were chirping, and it didn't sting to take a deep breath. I even thought I would have enjoyed sitting outside for awhile...but I didn't really want to sit in a snowbank. It's funny how temperatures that were killing me in early November seem quite balmy in February.

I'm beginning to be a little more hopeful that this eternal winter might actually end someday. We're going to have a muddy mucky mess when it all melts, but who cares! I think I have the worst case of spring fever I have ever had.

On our shopping trip, we stopped at Wal-Mart. Generally, I hate Wal-Mart, but they usually have a broader produce selection than other grocery stores in the area. I even found Kale. Now I have to find a recipe for it.

I know I should only buy seasonal, local foods (snow?) for the environment, my health, the economy, etc., but darn it, I'm also striving for variety right now.

I needed freezer bags. I was nearly out of frozen soup. I take soup to work nearly every day. So, when I got home, I whipped up a batch of Butternut squash soup, and I set some beans to soak so that I can make minestrone tomorrow. In addition, I made some Light Vanilla-Bean Pudding.. This pudding gets its flavor from a vanilla bean and not from extract. This pudding is not only light because of its lower calorie count, but also because of its very light taste. The vanilla flavor is delicate. I was hoping that the pictures I took would show the very tiny, dark, vanilla seeds suspended in the creamy pudding. But unfortunately, they don't. Maybe I should switch to my digital camera and leave the cell phone for calls.

This pudding takes a lot more work than a box Jello pudding, but I think it's worth it. I found this recipe in the January/February 2008 Everyday Food on page 122.

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1 vanilla bean

Special Equipment
a fine sieve

Preparation
1. Place fine mesh sive over a medium bowl; set aside

2. In a medium saucepan (off heat) whisk together sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt. Gradually whisk in milk (1 tablespoon at a time to start) until smooth. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds with the tip of a paring knife; add seeds and pod to milk mixture.

3. Cook over medium-high, whisking occasionally , until the first bubbles appear on surface; continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute more. Pour pudding through prepared sieve into bowl; discard solids.

4. Place plastic wrap directly on entire surface of pudding to keep skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours, and up to 3 days.

Makes 4 servings with 208 calories per serving.

The New Winter Olympics Event: Dog Walking

Today when I came home from work, I noticed that there were bare, dry spots on the streets around my block. My comments yesterday made me think. I seized the moment. I grabbed the leash and I took Buddy for a walk. When we first got out on the street and Buddy pulled on his leash, I was a bit scared because I happened to be standing on some ice. He pulled me along a bit, but I was able to keep upright throughout the walk. When we got home, I leashed up Joey and walked around the block again. The walk with Joey wasn't nearly the exciting adventure as it is with Buddy. She can't pull me over.

Anyway, both dogs seem more restful. That's not to say Buddy has mellowed out becauese of one short walk, but he does seem calmer...and I suppose I'm calmer too. I'm hoping that this slight upswing in the weather continues and turns into a trend so that all three of us can get more walks in. It'll improve our healths and our dispositions.

This evening, I'm going to take a long soak at Ken's again. I hope he doesn't get the idea that I only love him for his bathtub. I do love him, but I also love his bathtub. :)

Today has been a stressful day, and like an alcoholic or a drug addict, I want to reach out to my addiction. I want comfort foods. So, I need to more fully utilize other de-stressing methods.

I used to meditate on a regular basis, and I haven't done this in years. The other night when I took a nice long soak in Ken's big tub, I gave it a try. It was pathetic. I had no focus at all. I know I should definitely get back into it. Meditation can be very healing, and in a sense, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to heal not only my body, but my lifestyle, my soul.

I know I've said this over and over, but I need to get out and walk. The exercise will definitely help me lose weight, and build muscle and bone, but it will also calm me. I'm determined that as soon as the weather warms enough to tolerate spending more than 15 minutes outside at a time, I'm going to start walking to school.

I'm actually pretty good at sleeping. There have been times in my life when I suffered from terrible insomnia. I'm glad that's no longer a problem. But I could use more relaxation time. As it is now, although I eat my lunch in my office, I try to put the papers away, and listen to NPR's "Morning Edition" while I eat. I'm always interrupted by students, but I do try.

When Mari and I went shopping two weeks ago, we stopped at a local garden center. She mentioned doing that again soon. I really think soaking in the warmth, the smell, and the colors, could go a long way to helping soothe me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I need to be kinder and gentler to myself, which really is contrary to the way I was raised. I was always told to "suck it up." I guess in a way, I took that expression too literally. :)

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!

This has been a rough winter, and as many times as I've mentioned classes being cancelled, it has to be apparent to even a reader in the southern hemisphere that we've had a lot of snow. But we've also had some very cold temperatures. I've especially found these cold temperatures difficult to deal with. Part of it is simply the fact that I've lost a considerable amount of insulation, and then there was Monday evening.

I had missed posting that night because Ken and I had an appointment 30 miles out of town after work. It wasn't nearly as cold as it's been the last couple of nights, but I felt chilled to the bone. My teeth were actually chattering. I think Ken thought I was nuts. It was really uncomfortable....but then I realized that it had been a long day, and I had only eaten about 800 calories. I've had a few incidents in the past where I'd start shivering and my teeth would chatter when my blood sugar would drop, when I was hypoglycemic. Undoubtedly that's what happened on Monday night as well. I came home, ate something and gee, I don't know how late it was before I felt warm even under the electric blanket.

It's not a reason to put off dieting, but a diet during the winter can be more trying. So, if you're cold right now, consider how much worse it could be, and pile another blanket on your toes.

Secret Family Recipe

My paternal grandma, Grandma Amy (We called her by her first name because as little kids, none of us could pronounce our last name), was a widow with 7 kids to feed. One of her staple meals was Kidney Bean Stew. In my family, we've come to call it chili although it really isn't chili. I think this is the first dish I ever made because it is really simple. It's hard to screw up...Ok, I screwed it up once. When I was younger, I was trying to learn more about herbs and spices. My family didn't use many herbs or spices and so I resorted to experimentation. I added fennel seed to it. My brother Scott still gives me a hard time for adding "licorice" to chili. Actually, it wasn't all that bad, but it wasn't that good either.

Not too long ago, one of my cousins put together a family recipe book. She asked all of us to submit whatever recipes we wanted. Apparently she received about 7 different versions of this same dish. The recipe I've given you below is a version of my parents' version of it. None of us are too terribly sure what was in the original, but the primary ingredients are hamburger, onions, tomato soup, kidney beans, and potatoes. It's the potatoes that everyone finds surprising. It's really good, but my version is a very slimmed down one. I've eliminated the potatoes, and I've added diced tomatoes. Any of these versions are especially good with corn bread, but of course, that is too high in calories for me. I have to divide it out into several smaller servings in order to make it fit into my diet. I could water it down, but I like it thicker, and I'll sacrifice the amount for just a bit of this comforting food of home.

The only spices that are added are salt and pepper. Then individuals can add as much or as little chili powder as they want to their servings. My dad and I both pour it on. Mom winces and tries not to make comments about this habit. :)

Ingredients
1 pound hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 can Campbell's Tomato soup
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can kidney beans
1 6 ounce can tomato paste

Preparation
Brown hamburger. Add chopped onion. Cook until translucent. Add other ingredients and enough water to rinse out each can. Cook until bubbling.

Makes 6 servings at 343 calories per serving.

Lost Monday

No, Mari, I didn't make up the teetotaling great great aunt, but then, my mother loves to tell a good story, so, she may have made it up. I do however, remember Aunt Kate. When I was a little girl I went with Mom and Grandma to visit her in her retirement home. At the time she seemed quite refined to me, but then, I was about 6or so, so what did I know.

I'm sorry I missed posting on Monday. It was one of those crazy days. And by the time I got home last night, I didn't know what to write about. But I will make up for it today. When I get home from work, I HAVE to cook.

Keeper of the Glass

I've just gotten past a plateau. Everyone who has ever dieted can tell stories of the dreaded plateau. I was stuck at having lost 50 pounds for weeks. What's more disturbing is that my weight would fluctuate. One day it would be 50 pounds and the next it would be 48, etc. etc. It's very frustrating especially when I'm being especially good. And now that I'm past the plateau my weight has been dropping even though I've been rather bad. As of this morning, I've dropped 56 pounds. Of course, I could hit a plateau again tomorrow.

Some people are of the opinion that you should only weigh yourself about once a week or even once a month. I've done this in the past, and it is very effective in that I don't get freaked out by the dreaded plateau. Dieting is after all mostly a mind game. However, I've come to believe that I should weigh myself every day...ok, sometimes I go over board and weigh myself several times a day and that isn't necessarily good. But in order to control my weight once I've reached my goal, I'll need to weigh myself every day in order to determine whether I should limit what I eat for a while or not.

In regards to maintaining my weight, Ken gave me this formula from somewhere. Weight maintenance is equal to 12 calories per pound per day. Knowing this will make maintenance all that much easier.

Ken and I tried a chili rub on a steak today. Ken has always been more particular about meat being cooked well-done than I have and because of my concern for this, I overdid it a bit. I didn't burn it, but it was well-done and sort of dry. It tasted good, good enough that I think I'll try it again, and when I do, I'll definitely share it with you.

Notice the "parfait" glass in the picture. This is one of a set of glasses my grandmother gave me. My mom and dad are finally retiring, and my 95-year-old grandmother recently moved to a different apartment. So both Mom and Grandma have been downsizing. For some reason, they seemingly have designated me the keeper of the glass. Whether it's china or glassware, I've been given it. I don't know if it's because I'm the only daughter and the oldest granddaughter, or maybe it's because I don't have any children, and it is less likely to be broken. I don't know if they are aware that I believe in using things rather than keeping them stored away for eternity. So, anyway, this set of glasses were my great great aunt Kate's. Apparently, she called them parfait glasses because she was a teetotaler, and wouldn't admit that they were wine glasses. It's hard to believe she was any part of my family! They do make pretty parfait glasses though.

This evening, after I got home from Ken's and then the grocery store, I made some Lightened Rice Pudding. It has too many calories for a dessert, but it'll be a great breakfast for me. I don't drink milk, but I do miss creamy foods. And it's really yummy and satisfies my sweet tooth. I scalded the first attempt and had to start over. It says to bring it to a boil, but do it very slowly on a lower setting. I think my stove runs a bit hot and I have to set things lower than the recommended settings.

Ingredients
1 cup long grain white rice
6 cups skim milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup golden raisins, plus more for garnish

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, combine rice and 5 cups milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla, cardamom and remaining cup milk. Slowly pour egg mixture into rice mixture; cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until pudding coats [rice sticks to] the back of the spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat; stir in raisins. Pour pudding into 6-quart casserole dish or large bowl; let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Serving pudding garnished with more raisins and cardamom.

Makes 8 servings at 303 calories per serving.

Lora's Fast Food

One of the biggest issues I've had to deal with is what to eat when I'm tired after work and I don't have time to really cook. My solution has been to really cook when I have the time. I usually prepare 2-6 servings at a time and then I either freeze them or store them in containers in the fridge so that all I have to do is take them out and zap them in the microwave. This is really the only kind of microwave cooking I do. It's fast and easy, and I don't end up slipping into the practice of getting fast food at the local drive through window.

One of my favorite dishes that I keep in the fridge is One-Pot Chicken and Rice. This recipe is new to the diet, but I've made it many times since I first attempted it during Christmas break. It's really filling and satisfying. Now the recipe calls for brown rice. Brown rice is healthier, but I find it gets too mushy. So, what I've done is mixed my brown rice with white rice. This way it isn't the same consistency as oatmeal, it's still healthy, and it tastes great. And you guessed it. It comes from the January/February 2010 issue of Everyday Food on page 112.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large yellow onion cut into 8 wedges
2 celery stalks, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/5-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 cup brown rice

Preparation
1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place, skin down, in pot. Cook until golden brown on both sides. 10 to 12 minutes total. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot; add onion and celery. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 20 minutes.

2. Add carrots, bay leaf, and 1.75 cups water; stir in rice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice absorbs almost all the liquid, 40-45 minutes. Let stand, covered for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings at 372 calories per serving.

Spring Fever and Letting My Hair Down

Yesterday what started out to be an upward mood swing turned into a full-blown case of spring fever today. I had a terrible time focusing on anything. I do suffer extreme bouts of spring fever and always have. I'm antsy and giddy, and I really have to make an effort to get things done. Being able to be outside helps. If I could grab my tennis shoes and just start walking I'd be better off than I am so far this year... We'll see how the fever and the spring progress.

Given my current state, it's fortuitous that Mari and I had decided earlier in the week to make tonight one of our special movie nights. What makes these movie nights special is that we drink cocktails thematically chosen to correspond with the movie. For instance, when we watched a Jane Austen movie, we drank the ever so British gin and tonics. When we watched the movie Chocolat , we drank chocolate martinis. Tonight we watched the movie Frida, which is about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and we drank Margaritas. We especially like to try new drinks we haven't had or made before. It's sort of like what I'm doing with the diet. Half the fun is matching the drink to the movie. It's what you can expect from a couple of communications instructors.

Alcohol is not conducive to weight loss. But then, neither is tension and rigidity. I've got to let my hair down once in a while. This too in moderation can actually be good for a soul. I'll be doing this dieting thing for the rest of my life. If I tell myself I can't have an occasional drink because I'm dieting, does that mean I can never ever have a drink again? That's too rigid. I need to have some wiggle room, and some fun.


In planning our evening, Mari had mentioned chips and salsa. Salsa would have been great. It tastes wonderful and it's actually quite healthy, especially if it's homemade. But chips!!! I love chips, which in itself is probably a good indication that they're a problem. Yes, I've tried all sorts of "healthier" chips, and they pretty much suck. So, how does one eat salsa without chips? I don't mean like putting them on baked potatoes, I mean eating salsa as a snack. There simply has to be a better delivery system other than chips and short of spooning the stuff into your mouth. Hmmm? Maybe, I can use Tasida's sweet potato peels after all. :) Any suggestions?

Sunny side up

I was in a sour mood earlier today. I was really tired by the time I left school. It was a long hard day. But I had to go out of town to run an errand. I really didn't want to go because I wanted to go home and veg out. However, I had to go. It was sunny out. I didn't know that. I hadn't had time to look out a window all day. And the snow was beginning to melt. I put my sunglasses on and listened to NPR throughout the drive. I don't know at what point my mood changed, but it did. When I got home, I started cooking. I made tenderloin and spinach again. It was just as good as the first time I made it. I had enough energy to whip up a batch of Southwestern Corn chowder for tomorrow's lunch and then some (I took a picture this time. Check it out at my first entry).

Thinking about how my mood turned around made me think about how much pleasure I'm getting from this blog. It has been marvelous. It's made this diet interesting. It's given me a venue to express my concerns about dieting, and it's allowed me to be creative with my cooking and my writing. I don't know how many readers I have out there, but thank you. If it's just one or thousands, thank you. Thinking about you out there supporting me has made a great difference. And I'm happy to say that I've now lost 55 pounds. Only 45 more until I reach my goal!!!

A sour disposition

Well, I've found a shrimp and rice recipe I don't like, and I've attached a picture of my comments in my notebook in order to show you my process. It's really technical :)

The lemon shrimp was simply too lemony for me, which really surprised me because I love lemon. I could barely taste the shrimp. Everything tasted like lemon. To my way of thinking it was a waste of good shrimp. However, I chose not to make this in the microwave. I'm not much of a microwave cook and cooking it on the stove may have made it too inense.

Whereas the lemon shrimp was too sour with all the lemon, I am of a rather sour disposition today. I'm just plain ready for the weekend. I've had students in and out of my office all day. Everyone seems to need help or assignments they've missed, and I'm supposed to keep it all straight in my mind... I simply can't. It's gratifying that students aren't afraid to come to me, but it can be exhausting. Remember those "Calgon take me away!" ads? That's what I want. I want to climb into a big bathtub and soak. I can't even do that at home. I have a little tub that's great for bathing kids, but I can't lean back for a good soak. It would be incredibly therapeutic. I want to get one but my first priority is to replace the furnace. Who knows when I'll be able to get a different bathtub. I just may have to go to Ken's house and take a bath this weekend. He has a lovely big tub. "Big bathtub, take me away!"

Here is the Lemony Shrimp recipe, if you want to try it out for yourself. It is from Everyday Food but I'm afraid I didn't record the issue, but it is on page 72.

Ingredients
1 cup long-grain whit rice
1 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges and seeded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
1. In a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish with a lid, combine rice, wine, oil, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper

2. cover, and microwave on high until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 20 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.

3. Stir in shrimp and lemon wedges; cover, and microwave 3 minutes more. Let stand, covered, until shirmp are opaque throughout, 2 minutes. Stir in parsley; serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings at 376 calories per serving.

What the hell happened to Tuesday?

Yesterday, was a pain in the butt, an actual pain in the butt. My boyfriend thinks I have Sciatica, which sounds reasonable. Plus, I came in early, worked that same pained-butt off and got all my grading caught up. Which is why, I can write on my blog while at work. So, my excuse for not writing anything yesterday was that I was tired, and my butt hurt. Not much of an excuse.

It was also another difficult dieting day. I think I've mentioned before that I have difficulty distinguishing tired from hungry. I kept picking at this and that and adding it to my calorie count for the day....Maybe I would have been better off just making and eating a heaping pile of mashed potatoes with butter and simply gotten it over with. I didn't do any special cooking yesterday at all. I just warmed up what left overs I had on hand. I will have to cook tonight.

I've been especially cold lately. I'll have to find a very warming dish. I have plenty of soups. Or maybe I'll make a baked sweet potato after school.

When I was a kid, my mom would bake us potatoes for after school. We'd scoop out the potato and add plenty of butter and then we'd put more butter in the potato skins and eat them too. It was probably the Irish coming out of her. :) That was always a treat, and I suspect that it was an excuse to have the oven on to warm up the kitchen on those cold winter afternoons. Well, I've found that sweet potatoes make a great substitute. No you really don't want to eat the skins, but the flesh of the sweet potato is moist enough that butter or whatever you might add to a regular baked potato isn't necessary. I just add salt and pepper. And it's sweet enough that it feels like a special treat. Sweet potatoes are VERY nutritious. You bake it just like you would a regular potato. I think that's what I'll do this afternoon. And maybe I'll make some more pork tenderloin with spinach...that was good.

On Moderation

Yesterday, after posting my last entry, I was thinking about my overindulgence in chocolate the day before. And I thought there should be some way in which I can occasionally indulge in chocolate without going too crazy. Actually, what this project is all about is teaching myself how to indulge in moderation. I've never been very good with moderation. With me, it's either no or "look out baby."

I remember seeing this recipe for Mocha-Chip Meringues in, you guessed it, Everyday Food. So yesterday, I whipped up a batch. They are very good and low in calories; however, they're sort of messy to make. And this morning, when I sampled another one, I realized that I should have put them in an air tight container. They were a bit chewy. And I should have known this. I've dealt with meringue before.

So, as I was making these very sticky messy cookies, Buddy was in the kitchen with me. Joey had run upstairs and was probably sleeping in the sun on the landing (sometimes I think she's more cat than dog). She was also probably trying to take a break from Buddy. Who can blame her? With my very sticky fingers, I couldn't stroke Buddy's ears which we both enjoy. Nor could I give him a treat or any of those things I usually do when we're in the kitchen. The poor thing. He is so neglected. He proceeded to lie on the kitchen floor and whimper. Every time I'd turn around to look at him, he'd look up with his sad puppy dog eyes...What a performance!!! Whenever I see those ASPCA ads on television, I want to rush out and rescue another dog. And then I look at Buddy and Joey. I wish they could understand what's going on in these ads so they can realize how good they have it.

Back to the cookies: These cookies are only 27 calories a piece!!! And they do have the flavor of coffee and chocolate. The recipe calls for instant espresso powder, and I didn't know what that was, and I couldn't find it in the store, so I used one of these little single-serving instant coffee things that Folger's makes and it worked wonderfully. The recipe is from the January/February 2008 Everyday Food magazine.

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 300°, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Beating constantly, add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes total (scrape down the bowl halfway through). Add espresso powder and cocoa; beat until well blended. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips.

3. Drop batter by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until crisp, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool completely on sheets about 20 minutes.

This recipe makes 48 cookies.

Valentine's Temptations

The pictures I took of my Shrimp Stir Fry won't e-mail to my computer this time for some reason. So, I copied and pasted this picture that I found on the net. It's pretty close to what I made. But then, pictures cannot communicate the delight of this dish. Since it was the first time I had cooked with shrimp, I decided to keep it fairly simple, and I'm glad I did. I did screw up a little. I misjudged how long it would take to stir fry the shrimp and so I had to wait for the rice to get done.

Despite the wait, it was incredibly good. I halved the recipe. In other words, I made two servings. It was so tempting to eat both servings....But then, I was very bad this weekend. We celebrated Valentine's yesterday at Ken's house, and I overindulged in chocolate. He had bought some homemade fudge and I simply could not resist. Therefore, I simply can't over do it today.

It's funny. I had less difficulty resisting temptations over Christmas and New Year's. Part of the problem is that I am able to relax more now. Ken broke his hip early in December, and through the holidays, I was taking care of him. Now, he's much better, and I don't have to fuss after him. Also, it's been a long and frustrating winter. I want comfort and chocolate is definitely "comfort food." So, I slipped. And now, I'll simply have to get back on the wagon.

Of course, this recipe comes from the January/February 2010 issue of Everyday Food. This is the whole recipe. It's called Shrimp and Scallion Stir Fry. I did add carrots because I wanted more vegetables.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 bunches scallions, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
coarse salt
cooked rice for serving

Preparation
Heat a large skillet or wok over high until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add shrimp and stir until almost entirely pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add scallions and stir until bright green, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook scraping up any brown bits from skillet, about2 minute. Season with salt and serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings. 237 cal per serving with 1/2 cup cooked white rice.

Thoughts of Warm Breezes and Sea Food

For those who have been wondering, the sweater survived. I must have gotten it into the wash soon enough that the red wine stains didn't set. Whew! But Buddy's nose still has a light wine stain on it. And it's going to stay there until the hair falls out, or maybe it'll come out next time I give him a bath.

Actually, I should probably do that some time soon. He really enjoys it, and although we haven't done much this winter to warrant it, he's probably due for one.

I've mentioned dogs in my previous postings, but only Buddy has had a starring role. I also have little Joey. I've attached a picture of the two of them together above. Joey is my sweet little girl. She helps me stay sane by keeping Buddy company. Mind you, that's not to say that she can't be naughty, but the two of us together form a unified feminine line keeping our major masculine companion in check. Right now, Buddy is in the basement and she's lying at my feet, and the house is peaceful, at least for the last two minutes. Sigh!

Whenever I take the dogs out to potty, which is about every 10 minutes, I wistfully contemplate my lilacs. It seems as if this winter will never end. I miss the warmth and the pleasure in the outdoors so much. And I really really want to get my garden started.

On a more positive note. As of yesterday, I've lost two more pounds. So, I've dropped 52 pounds so far. Send positive thoughts my way that I can keep this up.

I'm also really excited. I picked up some shrimp yesterday. I love seafood, and especially shell fish. However, except for some prebreaded shrimp for deep frying and oysters, I've never cooked it before. It's probably because my parents never cooked shellfish. My mom's allergic to it. Shrimp is such a great diet food. It's really low in fat and calories. I have so many different recipes, I don't know which one to try first. I'll make that decision today, and I'll be cooking tomorrow. I'm really excited about this!

Naughty Buddy and Poached Chicken Breasts

Today was one of my "cheating" days. We had a day long inservice at school, and then I spent some time with Ken, my boyfriend. We haven't seen much of each other lately because earlier this winter Ken broke his hip, and although he's getting around well on his own these days, with the bad weather, we remained in our respective homes, which are 15 miles apart. I shared the meal offered by the college's teaching association, and then Ken and I shared a meal that was more sinful than I usually eat. So, when I came home, I opened a bottle of red wine and poured myself a glass.

At the same time I was cooking a couple of poached chicken breasts, one of my recent favorites. It isn't new since I started this blog, but new since I started the diet. I'll get back to that in a minute. So, as the breasts were poaching, I went to sit down at the table with my glass of wine, and as I went down, Buddy jumped up. Red wine went everywhere. In particular on the creamy white sweater I was wearing. Although he didn't do it intentionally, Buddy was sent to bed with a red wine stain on his nose.

So, let me tell you about poached chicken breasts. Poaching is the ideal way in which to prepare food that is low in calories. Basically, poaching is cooking in a simmering liquid. I've been poaching eggs for years, but I have never tried poaching anything else until I came across this recipe in...you guessed it. the January/February 2010 issue of Everyday Cooking. I love the subtle lemon and thyme flavors of this meat. I frequently will take a plain chicken breast and a vegetable soup like Butternut Squash soup to school for lunch. Two very stark and yet different tastes. The picture above is of the ingredients for the breasts prior to the inclusion of the breasts.

Note: I'm a poor photographer, and the pictures I've been including are from my cell phone. I apologize for their quality, but they really are about as good as I'm capable of producing.

Ingredients
1/2 a medium yell onion halved
1 medium carrot cut into thirds
1 celery stalk, cut into thirds
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 lemon, sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 sprigs thyme
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I frequently poach just two breast halves at a time.

Preparations
In a large, straight-sided skillet or pot, combine all ingredients except chicken; cover with water by 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil over high. Add chicken and return to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, then cover skillet and remove from heat. let stand until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove chicken from poaching liquid immediately.

243 calories per chicken breast half.

Buddy's Favorite

I meant to get back to the blog and post this yesterday, but in addition to finally having school, the weather was good enough that I could make some of those important appointments, like getting my allergy shots and seeing my parents. So, without further delay, I'll share with you Buddy's favorite meal.

I think Buddy likes it when I make Stir Fry because of all the crunchy vegetables I put in it. I swear if he was a mile away he'd hear me chopping vegetables and start crying because I was doing it without him. Stir fry is really very easy and you can use just about anything you have on hand. For instance, I used up the spinach I had from the frittata and the tenderloin and spinach recipes. And I don't know, maybe it's the German in me, but I'm very fond of cabbage, rutabaga, kohlrabi, etc. So, in a sort of East meets West style, I include a lot of these vegetables in the stir fry.

I am especially fond of Pork Stir Fry; however, I've frequently made it with chicken and fish. I thought it might be fun to write the recipe out as I made it with the calories figured in so you can see how I do it.

Before I get to that though, I suppose I should explain a little bit about stir frying. The reason stir frying is so great when you're dieting is because you use very hot temperatures and very little oil. A wok is especially good for this because it's made in such a way that you can really generate high temperatures.

It's best if you prepare all your ingredients and have them ready to go when it's time to add each one. I will roast a pork roast just for the purpose of slicing it up into about 6 oz. portions and freezing them in individual freezer bags so that I have it on hand for when I want to make stir fry.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil 120 Calories
80 grams onion 32 Calories
3 cloves garlic sliced thin Negligible
6.2 ounces pork. 217 Calories
114 grams kohlrabi 38 Calories
240 grams rutabaga 86 Calories
672 grams cabbage 165 Calories
110 grams spinach 26 Calories
276 grams frozen wintermix (broccoli and cauliflower)
81 Calories
82 grams green beans 30 Calories
144 grams carrots 59 Calories
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce 20 Calories
30 grams cashews 190 Calories
Salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Clean and chop all ingredients before cooking. Put the olive oil in the wok and heat at high. Heat until there's almost smoke coming from the oil.

2. Add pork, onions, and garlic and cook until onions and garlic are translucent. Slowly add the other vegetables a bit at a time. Let each batch reduce or wilt before adding the next batch. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once all the ingredients but the cashews are in the wok, and the wok will be VERY full, add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Then add water and cover to steam the ingredients a bit. When most of the water is gone, divide the meal into 5 individual storage containers.

4. Add the 30 grams of cashews to each serving. Do not divide portions.

So, this is how the calories shake out. Altogether the ingredients minus the cashews is 874 calories. Divide that by 5 and you get 175 calories rounded up. Then add the 190 calories for the cashews with each serving and you get 365 calories rounded up. It's not at all lost on me that the cashews have more calories than all the vegetables in the meal, but it's worth it. Nuts have very beneficial nutrients in them and the cashews especially add something very special to the meal.

Remember, you can include any other vegetables you like or have on hand. Asparagus is my favorite vegetable. Believe me, if I have any of that on hand, it gets included. I hope this works out for you and that you enjoy it as much as Buddy and I do.

On Composting

Wow, it looks as though we're actually going to have school today. We're starting late, but hey, at least we'll be there. I had considered titling this post "Fair Weather," but considering the temperature is -6, that's too much irony even for me.

Although it's so cold that it's hard to imagine anything thawing enough to actually rot to make compost, I've decided to focus on it briefly. Since I've been dieting, I've been eating a lot more produce, which means I have a lot of vegetable scraps. I try to compost these scraps. It's the ultimate in recycling. We give back the nutrients we've taken from the earth. I use two composting systems. The first one is comprised of two homemade composting barrels that I alternate between seasons. It's really easy to make a compost barrel. It simply requires a rubber garbage can (like those made by Rubbermaid) with lid (preferably one that locks on), a hole drill bit and a regular drill bit. You can find information on how to compost just about anywhere on the Internet.

My other compost system is my dog, Buddy. Buddy is my cooking buddy. I don't think I could find my way around the kitchen anymore if I didn't have him between me and the counter. Buddy is one of my composting systems because he loves my vegetable scraps. He's especially fond of carrot ends, cabbage hearts, and kohlrabi and rutabaga peels. I think he mostly just likes the texture of "eating" the cabbage. He leaves a mess of chewed up mush for me to clean up. He does, however, truly eat the rest of the stuff. Before anyone has a fit and tells me that I can't use dog poo to compost gardens. I know. It's just a joke, but Buddy really does eat the vegetables, and he's very healthy. We should take a hint from him.

I like to think of myself as a gardener, and I have made some beautiful compost, but my gardening attempts over the last couple of years, have pretty much flopped. But this year, I'm determined. I'm going to make some raised garden beds. My dad used to have a raised garden bed, and it is so much easier to garden with one. You have to contend with less weeds, which is one of my issues, and it's easier to bend down to cultivate when they are raised. I'll include pictures of these beds, once I get them made, and if the snow ever melts.

Pork Tenderloin with Spinach and Polenta

I'm really excited about today's recipe. And yes, it does come from Everyday Cooking. It's my own variation of the recipe on page 73 of the January/February 2010 issue. This was the best issue yet. I think I've successfully tried half the recipes in it.

The recipe is actually for Swiss chard instead of spinach, but I had the spinach because of yesterday's frittata, and so I used it instead. Although it would have been more colorful, I can't imagine the Swiss chard being any better tasting than the spinach. It was wonderful.

I don't know about you, but I didn't know what polenta was until I did a little research. Polenta is essentially corn meal mash. I had tried it once before using a recipe I found on line. I didn't think it was good at all. My dogs wouldn't even eat it, but the Everyday Food recipe was different enough, I thought I'd try it again. It was a bit lumpy but my snow-removal guy interrupted me as I was cooking it. And I also boiled the milk and broth over. But despite those screw ups, it was still really good.

The thing about polenta is that it'll keep the shape of whatever it's placed in while it cools. So you can set it up in all sorts of molds. Then, it's easily sliced and you can eat it that way, or pan fry or broil it. I'm looking forward to trying it with chili some time in the near future, maybe for lunch tomorrow.

This recipe is for 4 servings, but I didn't have quite enough pork, so I halved everything. I'll give you the original measurements and just keep in mind that I used spinach instead of Swiss chard.

I know some people don't really like vinegar, and if you don't, you might want to pass up this recipe. It's so good with it, I can't imagine it without it. And I really think it helps keep the pork deliciously tender.

Ingredients
4 cups skim milk
6 cups chicken broth
1 &1/3 cups corn meal
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound) cut into 12 equal slices
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 bunch Swiss chard (3/4 pound) stems cut into 1/2-inch pieces and leaves roughly chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons sherry vinegar (I used wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Preparation
1. In a 4-quart pot, bring milk and 5 cups broth to a boil over medium-high. Gradually whisk in corn meal. Continue to whisk until polenta thickens. Reduce heat to low, season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until cooked, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, flatten pork pieces into medallions between the palms of your hands. Season pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1/5 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add half the pork and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil; repeat with 1.5 teaspoons oil and pork.

3. Return skillet to heat and add teaspoon oil, onions, chard stems, and 1/4 cup broth. Cook, scraping up browned bits, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes (reduce heat to prevent burning as needed. Add chard leaves and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar, 3/4 cup broth, and pork with any accumulated juices; cook until liquid has almost evaporated, 4 minutes.

4. Pour 4 cups polenta into lightly oiled 8-inch baking dish; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Stir butter into remaining polenta, season pork and vegetables with salt and pepper and serve over polenta.

Cabin Fever

Yes, once again, we have a snow day. As I said, generally I enjoy an occasional snow day, but this winter has been ridiculous!! I've lost track of how many days we've had off from school.

In addition, to not getting the exercise I really need, it's also difficult to not binge when I'm stuck inside like this. I recognize my trouble spots. I eat when I'm bored and I eat when I think I'm tired. The tired one is actually pretty easy to deal with. I just go to bed. As it is, I go to bed at ridiculously early hours. I frequently go to bed before 8:00 pm, so that I can get up at 4:30 am. I do this so I can get to school early and get some work done. The school is very quiet at 6:00, and no self-respecting college student will be found in the halls at that hour.

However, when it comes to fighting the boredom, it isn't nearly as easy. In addition, in my family, when we'd get snowed in on the farm, we'd cook as if for an army and gorge ourselves on special treats like caramel corn or peanut brittle. The warmth and the fun of it all was marvelous. So, it's my natural inclination to do that here in my own home by myself.

Although that behavior isn't healthy, I think this project of mine is a positive substitute. I'm still focusing on food, but in a healthier way. When I'm not actually cooking or eating for this project, I'm looking at recipes from books and magazines. Those found in magazines, I cut out or write down into a scrap book I keep at my calorie counting station. Ok, that's a dumb thing to call it, but what I've done is set my lap top up in the kitchen where I record what I eat daily. It also lets me look up calories of individual items on the Internet.

You may have noticed that a lot of my recipes come from Everyday Cooking . This is a Martha Stewart magazine and I'm so excited, I got a new one today!!! But, I will be using other sources as the project goes on.

Another Snow Day

Well, we've had another snow day today. Although I appreciate a good snow day as much as the next person, this is getting out of hand. Not only am I going to have to cram everything down the throats of my students in the last month, but I need to get out and exercise. My preferred exercise is walking, but I'm not fond of the extreme cold temperatures, especially since I've begun to lose some of my natural insulation. We have a really large hill here. Last time I lost weight, I'd hike up it just about everyday. It was perfect. It provided enough resistance that I really had to work, but I didn't have to go so far as to run. My body jogs enough when I walk, thank you. I also like to swim, but I'm not ready to be seen in a swimming suit yet.

I suppose if we have another snow day tomorrow, I'll go ahead and try another new recipe. If this winter continues like this, I'm afraid that I'll run out of recipes. If anyone would like me to try a recipe and share it here, please, send it to me and I'll give it a whir if I can.


Because I had time on my hands, I decided I'd try something more complex. I came across this recipe for a Spinach Frittata which was something I've definitely never had before. However, the picture reminded me of the soufflés I used to make. Actually, it turned out to be fairly easy. It was good, but a bit eggy for me. I know my boyfriend will really like it. I think it would be good as part of a brunch. I did make a few minor adjustments to it that I'll explain as I go along. This recipe comes from page 44 of the January/February 2010 issue of Everyday Food.

Ingredients
1 large egg plus 2 large egg whites [I used pasteurized egg whites that I had on hand]
2 tablespoons grated aged cheese, such as Gruyère. [I used a Mexican cheese called Manchego. It was very good].
2 teaspoons of milk
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small shallot, minced
1.5 cups baby spinach
nonstick cooking spray

Preparation
1. Place a 1-cup ovenproof baking dish [I didn't have a 1-cup baking dish so I used an ovenproof mug that worked wonderfully]on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven; preheat oven to 450°. while oven is heating, whisk together egg and egg whites, 1 tablespoon cheese, milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pinch of pepper. In a small skillet, heat 1/4 teaspoon oil over medium; add shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach; cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir spinach into egg mixture.

2. Remove heated dish from oven and coat with cooking spray. Immediately pour in egg mixture and top with 1 tablespoon cheese. Bake until frittata is puffed up and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Makes 1 serving with 226 calories per serving.

Change

On Saturday, Mari and I went shopping. Last night, when I tried to put the new clothes away, I was confronted with my overstuffed closet. So, I decided I had better start sorting through my clothes. As I determined whether each item was too big or whether I could still wear it for a while, I became a bit sad. I don't necessarily have an emotional attachment to my clothes, but I know who I was when I wore those clothes. I'm not so sure I know who this thinner version of me will be. Losing weight allows a person to try on a lot more personae. And I'm not sure who I am yet.

In the past, losing weight has actually caused me to lose friends, and it has changed people's attitudes towards me. There's the guy who's my buddy with whom I goof around like one of my brothers who suddenly starts flirting with me. Or the jealous girl friend who doesn't like me when I'm like this. I'm not saying that my personality doesn't change. Of course it does. I have a lot more confidence and energy. But it's frequently the change in other peoples' reactions to me that freaks me out. I have to watch that and not give into it this time. But I'm more mature this time and so are my friends. My true friends will celebrate the healthier change.

Yesterday, I wasn't satisfied that I had any ingredients for a new recipe, so I made my version of Minestrone or I should say one of my many versions. My understanding of minestrone is that it's a soup with pasta, beans, and tomatoes and whatever other vegetables and herbs you want to include. I'll give you last night's version, but I won't include measurements. You have to measure and figure that out on your own.

Ingredients
Olive Oil
Chopped onion
Thinly sliced garlic
Chicken broth
Water
Mixed beans
A large can of tomatoes
Carrots
Cabbage
Corn
Green Beans
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Oregano

Preparation
1. If you use dried beans as I do, soak the beans for as long as you can(overnight is better) before cooking. Drain and rinse before cooking

2.Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add all ingredients but pasta. When vegetables are nearly done add the pasta. If you are going to freeze portions of the soup, quit cooking the soup before the pasta is done. Pasta gets mushy when fully cooked and then frozen. If you freeze it a bit before it's done, you can cook the individual servings a bit longer.

Also,when I made it this time, I didn't add a lot of water to the soup. The individual servings were quite small, but when I do prepare those servings, I can add as much or as little water as I want to. Water is a great thing- no calories.

Cheating

I really don't like using the word cheating when it comes to dieting because it makes it sound as if I'm doing something so wrong that I'm destined to fail. But I really do think it's necessary occasionally to cheat in order to succeed. I think it's necessary to lighten up, especially if it's all about celebrating. I just don't have a better word for it than cheating.

I do, however, have a problem with one aspect of cheating. I need to learn to compartmentalize it. Say I cheat and indulge in something at lunch, in my mind, since I've already cheated, I should go ahead and really satisfy my desires the rest of the day...Ok, what I'm talking about here is binge eating. I know it's a problem, and yet, I haven't been able to figure out how to deal with it. I have, however, greatly improved. On former dieting attempts, I used to binge for about 3 days until I'd get my act back together. Now it's pretty much a day at a time. But darn it, I should be able to have a small piece of chocolate cake, and not feel compelled to become Godzilla and consume Tokyo.

My boyfriend and I were supposed to go to my parents' place today, but it's snowing pretty hard. We decided it wasn't worth all the hassles just so we could share a baked chicken. Since that makes the afternoon my own, I thought I'd try a new recipe today, but I can't find one for which I have all the ingredients I need. Sure, I could make a grocery store run, but I don't want to go out and get stuck just so I can get an orange for orange zest. But I haven't given up hope. I'll have to keep looking. I'm sure I'll come up with something yet.

So, today I'll share with you a recipe I tried for the first time just yesterday. It's actually a slow cooker recipe. Mari and I went shopping yesterday, so I threw this in the pot before I left. It's a really nice change of pace. It's rich, spicy, and for most Midwestern palates it might be a too exotic, but I like it very much. It's Soy Ginger Chicken. I'm afraid I didn't record which issue of Everyday Food it came from, but I know it was on page 120. If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 garlic closed, thinly sliced
2/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches long) peeled and cut into thin strips
3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
4 chicken drumsticks and 4 thighs (about 2/5 pounds total) skin removed
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation
1. In a 50-to-6 quart slow cooker, stir together soy sauce, sugar, garlic, cilantro, ginger, scallions, vinegar, coriander, and pepper. Add chicken and carrots; toss to coat. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 6 hours. Using a large spon, skim off and discard any fat from surface of cooking liquid.

2. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Ladle 1 cup cooking liquid into measuring cup; whisk to combine. Pour into a small sucepan, and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. With slow cooker turned off, stir in cornstarch mixture. Serve chicken with white rice and garnish with additional cilantro and diagonally cut scallions.

Makes 4 servings. 269 calories and 8.5 grams of fat per serving (Not including rice).

My theory

Think about it, until recently humans spent a great deal of their time simply gathering, growing, preserving, or preparing their next meal. Whereas, we might get anxious waiting for that 4 minute meal in the microwave, our ancestors would be planning the food they would be eating for the next year. Talk about slow cooking!

So perhaps an obsession with food isn’t so unnatural. Perhaps we are genetically engineered to be obsessed with food. After all, the person who could space off and forget about eating might very well starve to death. Frankly, that’s absolutely beyond my comprehension. How can one possibly forget about eating? That’s like forgetting about breathing…Simply incomprehensible!!!

Everyone in my family tends to put on the pounds. The thing about the genetic connection to weight gain is that we need to remind ourselves that those of us with this family heritage come from a long line of survivors. Back in the days when food was scarce and humans had to scrounge for every morsel they could find, our ancestors survived because their bodies successfully stored the energy they needed in the form of fat. People who didn’t store fat successfully died off from starvation. But our bodies have not adapted to this new environment of ours, where food is plentiful, and those who don’t pack on the pounds are now the successful survivors.

So how do we adapt? We use our brains instead of our genetic programming. I've tried tons of diet plans. And to be honest, I could make a small village from the amount of weight I’ve lost and regained over the years. What's worked best for me is counting calories. And that requires that I do the math. I weigh and figure every little detail. And anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't do math. There's a reason I teach English. But doing the math is necessary and worth it. It is also necessary and worth buying a good kitchen scale. It also means that I prepare most of what I eat from scratch. And after reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto I am convinced that whole foods, and if possible local foods, is the answer to our society's food issues.

I also keep a diet log. Don't worry. You're not going to be subjected to that. You don't want to read every time I decide to eat a half a banana. But this record keeping keeps me in line. I can't fudge the results. Microsoft makes a nice little Diet log that's worked for me. Although it'll tally my calories and fat grams for me, it won't do the hard work of figuring the calories of every ingredient.

In case you don't know how to go about figuring the calories of recipes, let me tell you, it's easy. You weigh or measure each ingredient you include in a recipe. And there are plenty of websites that'll tell you the calorie count per measured amount. My favorite is http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/. You take the calories as listed, divided by the amount listed, times the weight or measurement of your ingredient. Once you've figured the calories of all your ingredients, you add them all together and then divide them by the number of portions you plan on serving.

It's a balancing act. You want to divide it into as many servings as you can to lower your calorie count, but you also want to have enough food to satisfy you. You naturally eliminate those foods that are so high in calories that you have to eat next to nothing in order to keep the calories down. You just learn that french fries simply aren't worth it.

So, what about those frozen, low calorie "TV" dinners? I'll admit, I have some of those in my freezer. However, I'm determined not to use them on a regular basis. Yeah, there are days when I come home and I don't have anything prepared and I'm dead tired, or when I haven't had time to go to the store to get ingredients and I don't want to deal with the hassle (I hate grocery shopping). I don't think it's going to kill me every once in a while. But these foods are incredibly processed. And I don't think they're healthy for the individual or for society. Also, according to a January 11, 2010 New York Times article by Nicholas Bakalar entitled “Counting of Calories Isn’t Always Accurate,” it was found that restaurant and packaged foods can contain “18 percent more calories than listed.”

In addition, if that's all I eat, what do I do after I've reached my goal? Do I go back to my old habits? Do I continue to eat those expensive, highly processed foods? No the answer is to continue eating my homemade foods. Sure, maybe I'll be able to increase my consumption of "naughty" foods a bit, but I can easily go back and make my healthier diet foods when I need to.

So, who wants to do that kind of cooking every day? I don't! I cook weekends and snow days. I divide the dish into individual servings, package, and either freeze or refrigerate. I zap a meal when I need it.

One of my new favorites is Butternut Squash Soup. I got this recipe from pages 50 and 51 of the January/February 2008 issue of Everyday Food

Ingredients
3 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion coarsely choped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can chicken broth
1 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation
1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion. Season with salt; cook stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes.
2. Add squash, broth, and enough water (4 to 5 cups) to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Working in batches, purée broth and vegetables in a blender until smooth, transferring to a clean pot as you work. To prevent splattering, fill blender only halfway, and allow heat to escape. Remove cap from hole in lid, and cover lid firmly with a dish towel. Adjust soup's consistency with a little water if necessary. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4-6: 141 calories and 4.9 grams of fat per serving.

And so it begins...

...well actually, it has begun. I teach at a community college in Iowa, and we've had terrible weather this winter. I had already begun dieting this fall, but over Christmas break, I decided to enrich my diet with new recipes. I must have tried 6 or 7 recipes just during break. Since spring semester has begun, I've realized that I won't be able to keep up trying new recipes at that pace, and yet I don't want to get stuck with the same dietary food day in and day out. Therefore, I decided to try at least one new recipe a week. My dear friend Mari suggested I blog my experience. We had seen the movie Julie and Julia together and she suggested I could do something like that. I liked the idea, so here I am.

Here is a recipe for Southwestern Corn Chowder. I got it from Everyday Food. I'm afraid I didn't record the issue number, but it was on page 58. This hearty chowder is relatively creamy and it allows me to enjoy starchier vegetables that generally don't fit into a diet. This cornfed Iowa girl needs corn occasionally. It's a great one to take to work on a cold winter day.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 scallion, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1 can chicken broth
1 cup milk

Preparation
1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add whit part of scallion, carrot, chili powder, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until scallion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add potato, corn, broth, and milk.

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potato is easily pierced, 10-20 minutes. Stir in green part of scallion, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Serves 2. 381 calories and 11.5 grams of fat per serving.