It's All About August!
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Great progress on your shoulder, Mihani. You can always keep up with the exercises afterwards. Congrats on 60 days without alcohol. You should estimate how many calories you saved over the 60 days!
Great job on your water intake Marilyn. It is on my list of things I need to improve. Did you get the results you were hoping for with your weigh-in?
Spring, I go through times where I get nasty leg cramps in the night. Have you tried a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass full of water? I will have a glass of that before bed if I've been waking up with cramps. If the cramp is triggered in the middle of the night, I have another glass. (acv is supposed to help with fluid balance and it is high in potassium which your body may be low on if you're getting cramps.)
bisky - did you find the fenugreek leaves there? All of my Indian style recipes started tasting more 'indian' after I discovered it. The recipes I have that first called for it called it Kasoori Methi, so I couldn't find it anywhere and ordered on amazon. Luckily the spice jar had the translation underneath.
re Air Fryers
We ended up getting a Breville smart oven/air fryer because we read a lot of complaints about the lack of space to fit food in air fryers in general. This smart oven will bake, roast, air fry, toast, convection, not convection you name it. We didn't know we'd love it and use it so much. Because it is small relative to an oven, it heats up super fast. In fact, you can just set it all up, put the food in and let it preheat with the food in there. The timer starts when it is up to temp. The only time we turn on the oven now is when we we are cooking multiple things or if we're making something too big, like roasting a big pan of veggies. Since we got in in January of 2020, we have used our oven maybe half a dozen times.
Cons of note: very large, think big microwave / bigger than any toaster oven. price. $500. (actually just looked up my purchase to see how long we've had it and it is on sale now for $400)
Poor Ruby has a sore paw. She's very sensitive about it and we can't get a good look. We're going to get in there this morning and trim the fur between her toes and see what's going on. She is due for a vet visit anyway. We're skipping our park walk today and the poor doggos are going to be woebegone once they realize it. It didn't take long for them to start anticipating these walks.
Still groovin' on the food rotation. Tonight is pinto bean chili.0 -
Oh good information on the Breville smart air fryer. I could take a few things we are not using much off the counter plus a small aquarium. Yes, we have a Betta buddy in the kitchen who watches out every move.
I hope Ruby feels better soon. We have 4 dogs in our house currently. Brooks walks the 3 younger dogs at 5:30 and we are going. for a big dog walk in a few minutes down by the Riverwalk. A tired dog is a good dog. Especially when you have 4.
How long do you cook the soaked garbanzo beans in the IP and how much water? Can I have your Pinto chili bean recipe? Or is it listed? I will look. Yes, I found the Fenugreek leaves. They had 2 types. I think some where seeds. So excited about the bulk spices because I can try a few without breaking the bank. I bought some Moroccan spices that I will have too find a recipe for put it reminded me of southern Spain, across from Morocco. We had several wonderful vegetarian grain meals at Moroccan restaurants.
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Marilyn - My Mother use to sing me that song as well as Stevie Wonder's You are the Sunshine of my life.
Carla - found a recipe for IP garbanzo beans. Just added water, garlic and vegetable better than bouillon. DELICIOUS. The military has a Cuisinart air fryer for $200.00, no tax and free delivery. I might get that one to start with.
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My mom used to sing that too me, too.
I will sing it for her when I talk to her next.
I just add water to the soaked, rinsed, beans and cook on high pressure for 14 minutes and then natural release / leaving it on keep warm until I get around to them. Broth is a good idea. I will have to do that when I have an open carton I need to use up.
I'm attempting to make the zucchini cakes but I don't have a good feeling about them. I think my idea of 2 medium zucchini is different from theirs!1 -
zucchini cakes are okay but not a must-make by any stretch. then again, I didn't follow the recipe!
I used 3/4 cup of ground garbanzo bean 'flour' instead of mashed beans. I used chia seeds in place of flax seeds, my zucchini came out to about 3 to 4 cups once shredded. After mixing wet and dry, I flattened it all onto a tray lined with parchment and air fried for 22 minutes at 375f.
edit: also omitted the 3 Tbsp of flour
Joe says they are 'okay' and 'really need that salsa' ( LOL )
I like them more than Joe because it reads sort of like bread to me. satisfies that itch. I might make them again.
I don't really recommend them unless you are looking for some sort of corn bread type flatbread or have a bunch of zucchini to use up. Diced jalapeno will be going in my next batch if I do a rerun.
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@bisky you'll probably end up needing to add more heat to the curry. my throat seizes up and I start choking if I go too spicy lately.1
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Hi all!
Hope you enjoyed your walk, Bisky. Dogs all tired out? Thanks for the tips on the soup.
Carla, hope Ruby's paw feels better soon. So sad when puppers aren't feeling well. Sorry your recipe didn't turn out as well as you hoped.
Busy busy day, as usual. I think I'm going to run to the grocery tonight and get that over with. Tomorrow I want to get started on the new plan of a good workout at home on Thursday evenings. Friday pick up my salads from my prepper friend and then I usually go to the organic grocery near her to pick up any odds and ends but if I go to the big grocery tonight I won't have to do that. Saturday 2 morning classes then work work work. Sunday office until afternoon then a haircut and then start the work week over again. Seriously has to be more to life!
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Bisky, glad to hear you were able to make your delicious-sounding minestrone. I also wore camisoles, but only when my outer shirts were a bit too thin or sheer; I can't imagine I'll ever wear Spanx, I hate that tight fitting feeling.
I love fenugreek seeds: I used to have neighbors that lived upstairs from us in a two-family rental, they were from India. The wife worked and the husband stayed home, and cooked most of their meals. I used to occasionally get a waft of this great smell, but the husband didn't speak English, and the wife's and my paths rarely crossed, so I never had a chance to find out what that wonderful fragrance was. A few years later I was working in an office and I smelled it again - an Indian-American co-worker was coming back from the kitchen with some re-heated lunch and I asked her what it was. She actually seemed almost apologetic and said it was an Indian dish. I told her I loved the smell, told her about my former neighbors, and asked if she would share the recipe. She told me it was probably the fenugreek, and the next day brought in some seeds for me. Instant infatuation.
Love that absolutely gorgeous Hawaii photo - it looks like the sun is sending out a heart to you!
Mihani, Wow, very interesting about the no leg cramps and no alcohol. I was doing a little more research today and found this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29987076/. Basically, they found a link between alcohol consumption and nocturnal leg cramps in people over 60 year old. Not that my opinion matters, but I'd suggest continuing the alcohol free days. As for me, I didn't drink last night and had a couple of almost cramps but was able to stave them off with some stretching. Too late for tonight, I've already had a few glasses of wine, but I'll see how it goes. If I get cramps again tonight, I'm definitely off the booze for the foreseeable future.
Carla, If the cramps continue, even with stopping alcohol, I'll definitely try the apple cider vinegar (I've heard it's actually good for a few things including: blood sugar control, weight loss and cholesterol (https://webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-apple-cider-vinegar).
Regarding the air fryer: we actually have an air fryer setting on our new oven and it works great. I made your baked Chinese tofu recipe - my tahini was no good so I subbed natural peanut butter, and I forgot to do the arrowroot at the end - but it still came out delicious, so thank you (and your 22 minute timing for the air fryer was spot on, even for the oven).
Sorry to hear about your Ruby, I hope it's nothing serious.
Marilyn, thank you for the "You Are My Sunshine" post, what a simple yet great sentiment.
Carla, thanks for the info on the zucchini cakes - the pics make it look delicious, but I have so many recipes to try right now I'll probably skip those (at least for now especially after your notes).
I finally had a reasonably warm day today and was able to get in a half-hour walk (almost 2 miles) and about 1 hour of some heavy gardening WOOHOO!
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Hopped on the scale this morning and down another pound. Total so far 8 pounds so I'm still averaging right around a pound a week. I am enjoying the mashed potatoes and going to make another batch tomorrow night. I seem to stay more full and don't crave the salty snacky stuff when I include potatoes in the day. I've settled into a good routine this week that I think I can keep up pretty easily for the next few weeks.
You all have me thinking about fenugreek now.
Nice long walk, Spring. I am for sure going to stay away from alcohol another 30 days, then decide. I think I've quit long enough that I can make it a mindful choice in future rather than it being a Friday and/or Saturday habit that of course I'm going to drink, it's the weekend!
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Congratulations Mihani and Carla on more weight loss! Excellent results for your hard effort.
Sparky it is difficult to be active in this weather. Good for you get your walk in and gardening.
I think fenugreek was my missing ingredient to making Indian food taste authentic. The Chickpea garbanzo recipe turned out great. I didn't add jalapeños to it and still spicy. We just ate a little straight last night but today I am going to serve it over roasted vegetables. Our favorite restaurant in Misawa Japan was Ankur, owned by a Indian family. You could watch them cook and all fresh ingredients. They made a chick pea sweet potato curry with green beans and red peppers that was delicious. Even my non-vegetarian friends could not get enough of that. They also made a delicious coconut creamed spinach. They were located right outside the military gates and I don't think I ever saw Japanese people there. The japanese curry is much more mild and usually beef broth based.
I don't think alcohol has much sugar calories but it does not have any nutrition either. When I go out I order 1/2 club soda 1/2 sprite with extra lemon and limes. I would not buy sprite at home but I feel less deprived than ordering water or tea. With ice it equals out 2-4 ounces of sprite and same with club soda. It is extremely refreshing in this hot weather and less calories than alcohol. Or I could just order club soda with lemons and limes.
2 mile walk and 600 M swim yesterday. Dogs are tired and so am I.
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Just popping in to say I am doing ok...but not great. Will check back when things are a little better. Not sick, just not my usual cheery self these days. You can trace the problem to my horrible sleepless nights ... so frustrating. I did order some supplements that I used to take and ran out...so maybe that is what I am lacking. Should be here by next week. Hugs!1
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Aww, Nanc. I'm so sorry you aren't feeling great. I meant to give you a shout-out yesterday but then forgot. I hope you're able to get some rest.
Bisky, club soda with lime is my go-to when I'm out and don't want alcohol. You are cooking up a storm lately. I hope to get time to make something this weekend but I have a lot of other stuff to do as well so we'll see.
Got stuck at the office late then there was a traffic jam on the freeway but I promised myself I would get a workout tonight so I'm off to do it... right now! I'm thinking 10 or 15 minutes on the treadmill then 20 minutes of strength and abs.
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Nance, sorry that you're having so much trouble sleeping. Have you used the sauna lately?
bisky, glad the curry turned out! it would be good with roasted veggies. we do it sometimes with Indian style baked tofu on top. not that it needs more protein, but its yummy
Mihani, nice job pushing through and doing that workout!
I had a sad day. Might be because my period is coming. Looking forward to the reset of a new day. I'm an emotional eater, but I managed to keep my food okay overall.
coffee, black
Fuhrman blueberry oatmeal
pinto bean chili and zucchini cakes (too many zucchini cakes, but was going to binge on something so may as well be something with good ingredients)
1/2 caramel apple
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Hope you have a happier day today, Carla. I will have to try that curry recipe soon.
Once I forced myself onto the treadmill it was all good. Did 30 minutes brisk walk, then 15 minutes of strength followed by 10 minutes of abs. Plus the exercises from the PT right before bed. I need to keep it in mind that once I get started I actually kind of enjoy working out. It's just getting started that is the struggle. Getting on the treadmill is the only thing that matters, because then I'll keep going.
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Finally, I did not wake up at 1 or 2 am and stay up! First time in about a month!
Today , I woke up at 4:19 and my sleep app said I did well 5.5 hours ...I even had over two hours of deep sleep.
I am not caught up on posts...but will do my best in the next few days.
Today's Plan
coffee
oatmeal with blueberries and homemade almond milk
carrot orange juice
Tu NO...It really tastes like egg salad...I use black salt and pulverize the chick peas. So good.
Tomato soup
Watermelon
Later, dollies. Make today delicious!
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LOVE THIS! ^^^^^ @Marilynsretired0
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Mihani, another pound, you're killing it! Just read an article today about alcohol and dementia - yet another reason to quit, or at least cut back on the booze. I'm going for 30 days to start. Unfortunately no walk today, it was pouring all day; our backyard is so flooded we can almost go for a swim though LOL. Great job getting on the treadmill to start things off.
Bisky, the chickpea dishes sound delicious. Chickpeas and black beans are my two favorite beans/legumes. I like some of the flavored seltzers, but I'm noticing that a lot of them are starting to have a lot more ingredients than just carbonated water and flavor essence. Some even have artificial sweeteners now, so I'm starting to check labels now before I buy them.
Marilyn, love the turntable! And the Snoopy poster is hysterical!
Magic, sorry to hear about your sleepless nights, and congrats on finally having a good one; I hope the supplements help you out even more. Do you mind if I ask what kind you use? I wake up multiple times a night with hot flashes - not sure if a supplement will help, but it might be worth a try.
Carla, sorry to hear about your sad day, your meals for the day sound yummy.
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Nanc, yay for some sleep! Your menu sounds great and I hope you were able to sleep again last night.
Spring, I read a book recently called Alcohol Explained and all the info it's just not that appealing now. Not that I think I will never drink again. I'm sure I will have a glass of wine or a margarita or a couple beers now and then, but definitely not a weekly thing and keep it limited. I drink the la croix brand sparkling water at home.
Have my two classes at the gym this morning so I ate breakfast earlier than usual for fuel. I've been sticking to 16/8 intermittent fasting for the past week which has made a big difference in the scale response (2 pounds this week woohoo!) but if I go to the gym or do a hard workout at home I have a smoothie with protein powder added after.
Plan for today...
B - two slices ezekiel toast with a smidge of PB, two dates
L - salad, smoothie
D - ancient grains with chana (packaged has a little oil)
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Today's Menu...
coffee with NUTPODS original -sigh-
oatmeal, blueberries, almond milk
carrot orange juice.
brothy vegetable tomato soup with banza penne (I do like it...not crazy about the additives)...but I liked that I was not looking for more pasta after one serving. That is huge!
watermelon
Ladies have a great day...do try and make it delicious!
Gotta scoot, want to get to Sprouts before work...8 - 7pm today. Later, gators!0 -
Nanc, I didn't realize Banza had additives. This last time I bought the Fresh Thyme store brand because it was cheaper. The only ingredient is chickpea flour. Barilla also is one ingredient.
Crushed my workouts today. I felt good and there were only two lifts I had to modify due to my shoulder. A couple lifts I can now do that I couldn't before. The best part is that the daily exercises for my mid-back are really helping. No spasms in my spine when we hit the floor for ab work and stretching. That is amazing!
Got home and had my smoothie. I'll have a salad here in a few, and dinner around 4:00. I'll have to decide if I want to cook today or tomorrow but leaning to putting it off until tomorrow and just doing laundry today while I work here at home.0 -
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Mihani, the store nearest to us, Food Lion, has a store brand that's just water and natural flavor, so I usually buy that, but also sometimes get La Croix or Aha. I'm so happy for you that the workouts are giving you strength and helping your back.
I've been mostly using whole wheat tortillas when I want a sandwich, but I went down the frozen aisle yesterday and found out Food Lion has Ezekiel bread! WOOHOO! I actually didn't expect them to carry it and never looked before. The don't have a huge variety but have the 4:9 sprouted grain which is my favorite.
We went to the local farmers' market this morning and I picked up three big fat green tomatoes. I'm going to try to make some fried green tomatoes this coming week. The recipe calls for AP flour and cornmeal, but I'm going to try the cornmeal with either whole wheat or chickpea flour. I'm also going to air fry some rather than pan frying them all. I'm hoping the air fried come out as crispy, that way I won't bother pan frying in the future.0 -
Love fried green tomatoes, Spring! I have tried a few variations of oven "fried" and have yet to find the perfect method so I'll be interested how they turn out in your air fryer. I found if they are almost getting to turning red they turn out better because there's more moisture in them and I think I tried one version that used flax egg which turned out pretty well. Basically, they just don't taste like the ones my dad used to make and those were the best, so I am always a bit disappointed.
Got up a little before 5 am and going to get started on work after a cup of coffee. Didn't get much done yesterday so I plan to work until time for my hair appointment at 2:30. Also need to do some cooking today and get in some time on the treadmill.
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This is my second try with this recipe and I like them. https://nutriciously.com/plant-based-mashed-potatoes/ The first time I forgot to reserve some of the cooking water for mashing. They were still fine but definitely creamier this time with that added. I leave out the salt, use more pepper, a bit more nooch, less garlic powder and add a little onion powder and dried parsley. I also used almond milk since I didn't have any soy milk.
So the day is going to shape up like this:
B - mashed potatoes and broccoli (since I just made them)
L - big ol' salad with chickpeas added
D - smoothie
Speaking of ezekiel bread, I went a little crazy last night eating toast, like 3 slices. I have trouble controlling bread in any form, although ezekiel is usually safe. But last night I kept going back to the toaster oven. LOL
I've spent the morning so far cooking and doing a little cleaning, and now really must get busy with work!
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Morning gang...just finished 30 in the sauna...use it on my days off. The sauna probably does help me with sleep since when I use the sauna, I tend to do so many things right...it's a snowball effect. The biggest help is eating a light dinner and stopping eating at 7. So far, that is the biggest help. My next-door neighbor also stops at 7 so we are texting each other for support...last night she texted a stop sign...cute.
today's menu
simple and repetitive:
coffee with nutpod
oatmeal with blueberries and Eden's Soy...have one carton left and will use it for four days.
*brothy tomato-based soup with a bunch of veggies and some kind of noodles and beans
JOE's MEAN GREEn JUICE...kale, cukes, celery, granny smith, lemon, ginger
watermelon
*yesterday I used a Daily Harvest vegan minestrone left in my freezer...just ok. NOT GREAT. My own will be better.
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ended up cleaning the kitchen…really needed it…pooped out. Not making juice today…only so much right knee can handle, standing and prepping veggies to be juiced.
Soup…I used a Not chikn cube…frozen veggies from trader joes, fresh spinach and rice ramen.
Yum
Did have oatmeal and watermelon.
Dinner I think will be bean tostada.
Make today delicious 😋 y’all!0
