WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MARCH 2013

Hello Ladies - wishing everyone a pleasant weekend. It's been a busy week and I'm not certain where all the time went but I did visit my dad and spent quite a bit of time with him. Did lots of walking and lots of errands. This afternoon I've just been balancing checking accounts, writing checks and paying some bills online. Have a few more to finish.

I've also been working through a tiny bit of computer hiccups. Couldn't get my Fitbit to sync to the Fitbit site yesterday. Got some advice from others on the Fitbit thread and started doing some checking. While my software was up-to-date somehow the *service* had been shutoff on my laptop. Okay, got that going and it's syncing to the Fitbit site and now my Fitbit adjustment is NOT coming over to MFP. This is not just me however, lots of people complaining about this and they're apparently working on it.

My poor Fitbit is on the verge of dying, it's cracked and is losing chunks of plastic so I finally got the info the Fitbit folks required and sent that along to them last night. They've approved a replacement and I just got a notification that they've shipped one via USPS. Hope my poor old Fitbit lasts for a week or so......

I'm now making 2 batches of Kale chips each week. Someone on MFP gave a recipe for them and then I found the same recipe on Dr. Fuhrman's web site so this recipe must really be popular! I should note that the bunches of Kale I purchase at my local store are relatively small. Even the produce manager was telling me this morning that he doesn't know why the Kale that they are receiving is so tiny. Fine with me, I think it tastes better. So here's the recipe I got

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you need a Vitamix or other high speed blender to make the *sauce* for the chips.

Sour Cream and Onion Kale Chips

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder (can use less if you prefer)
1-1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 bunch kale

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients *except kale* in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. (If you have a regular blender, soak the cashews first for 30 minutes, then blend, scraping down the sides. For a regular blender, it may take several minutes). Set aside.

Wash the kale and then carefully dry the leaves. If the leaves are wet, it will take longer to bake/dry. Strip the leaves into a bowl, roughly tearing any large pieces. Make into "chip-size" pieces. Discard the stems. Pour the creamed mixture on top of the kale. Using your hands massage the mixture into the kale for 1 minute or more to evenly coat the leaves.

Oven method:
Heat the oven to 250°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then spread the kale chips over the sheets, as evenly and flatly as possible, to ensure even cooking time. Do not overlap the kale or those parts will take longer to dry/bake, which will cause the uneven cooking. Bake between 1 - 1.5 hours (time varies according to the dryness of the kale), flipping halfway through the baking, until the kale has dried out and is crispy but not burnt. Keep a close eye on the kale at the end of its cooking process, and remove any premature crispy chips from the batch if needed. Enjoy immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. (I do not flip mine---I just take them out before they burn.)


Lin in Central Iowa

Hello Friends,

Super good fun to meet my fellow MFPers Laura, Jane and Brooke today. Enjoyed it so much I think that I will try to do this more often in connection with my business travel. If anyone in this community lives in Boise, San Diego or NYC, hit me up. I'll be in your town soon.

Michele in NC - I cooked the collards like a stir fry in a cast iron skillet. Fried up some onions, garlic, red pepper to taste, then added a big heaping pile of greens that wilted down fairly quickly. Will do this again. Be sure to check out the recipes that Brooke discovered online: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/collard-greens-recipe_n_2869207.html?utm_hp_ref=taste&ir=Taste

Katla - I live in Littleton, southwest of downtown Denver. I am very close to the Red Rocks Ampitheatre, my all-time favorite concert venue. The ampitheatre is set smack at the base of the Rockies and the rocks provide superb acoustics. Have fun shopping for smaller closthes that make you feel and look fabulous. You deserve it!

bjmcq - I can remember a time when I did not exercise. It's been an on and off love affair. What got me back on is listening to audiobooks while on a cardio machine. I like biographies like the new ones from Penny Marshall and Sissy Spacek. It is like having someone talking to you while exercising. I hardly feel the exertion. In fact, I now look forward to my 5 AM workouts six times a week.

It's been a long week, and I still need to wrap up more work in my office. Have a great weekend.

Stay well.

Rori in the Colorado Foothills

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week, Enjoy your weekend!
Bump 11

Bump for tomorrow. Have agood night all.

Good Friday evening to all, well I mean good evening and it's Friday just in case you all think I am totally losing it. Good Friday is 2 weeks away (I think, maybe, heaven knows I've been having challenges with the dates lately).

I think it might be a full moon coming up, my work space had all sorts of strange people coming in, or maybe people coming in with strange concerns. Glad it's TGIF.

Off to Spokane tomorrow, got to hit the DSW store (and the excuse to go stateside is that I have to pay my Macy's bill - lol). Anyway, a friend is driving, her husband is in Alaska right now so a shopping trip will serve him right for being away.

Barbie - I love soda bread, and spoon bread, and naan, and baquettes, which is why I buy them so infrequently (on the abstinence not moderation side with the bread items).

Colorado ladies, how great to be able to get together for lunch. What a nice way to celebrate Friday.

Got to go and get some early sleep tonight as I will be up really early tomorrow for the 2.5 hour drive. Haven't given the dogs their second walk to must go, very soulful brown eyes watching my every move at the moment.

Lila - in the sunny Kootenays, BC

bump

I'm bumping to find my place, but I also have q kale question for Lin in Central Iowa. DH loves Kale and I think he’d like the chips. I’m wondering about the sour cream part. I didn’t see any reference to it in your recipe. Is it a dipping sauce?

Have a good evening.

Katla in NW Oregon

Evening ladies. Its been a long and productive day. DS is home - YEAH. We took him out for a steak dinner as part of our effort to fatten him up. He has gained 6 lbs since xmas break but can use a few more. DD has some friends over to help celebrate her upcoming b-day on Sunday (she has to travel back that day so we are celebrating in advance). Before picking up my DS at the airport, DH and I headed to my Dad's condo to put the finishing touches on it before we put it on the market. The realtor called while we were at dinner to let us know he already had 2 showings scheduled for tomorrow. I feel like I'm finally getting my Dad's estate under control. So DD and her friends are now up here so if I make mistakes in the following just know it is very very very noisy here

Beth - Anthro is a great store - thank goodness they have great sales:happy:

Laura 80111 - so impresse you are sticking with the shred:drinker:

Brooke - I can totally relate to feeling crappy at TOM. My Ob told me I should be happy I still have it...trying to see it that way...really trying

Michele - in the cold weather I cook beer can chicken in the oven. We have a beer can rack that works great

Katia - DS has gotten lots of offers for lbs from you all. Plans on eating a lot while home so will probably do well on his own - but thanks for the offer:laugh:

Grandmallie - hope you get your cruise on Royal Crib:happy:

Linda - congrats on the weigh loss:drinker:

Cheryl - glad to hear there has been some improvement - I'll keep praying

bjmcq - good for you and your new goal. For me it takes both exercise (6 days/wk) and watching my calories. I log everyday - trying to log in advance so I know how the day is going. It has made all the difference for me. Exercise alone just kept my weight constant. Hope you find what works for you.

Jane - here is my recipe for roasted parmesan asparagus: Place washed and prepped asparagus in a large sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil, kosher or sea salt, ground pepper and grated parmesan. Toss to evenly coat. Roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until done (depends on how thick the stalks are). Toss/turn once around the half way point. Really yummy. :bigsmile:

Colorado ladies who lunch - sounds like you guys had a great time...can't wait to see the pics

Have a great weekend :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Jodios

Happy weekend :happy: Checked in and lost 3.5 pounds in the past 10 days - Yay, getting back on track Lin thanks for the Kale chips recipe - I've been wanting to try them for awhile!
I agree with Michele - Caring Bridge is great - my brother has Lymphoma(now morphed into Leukemia), is currently getting chemo and will be moving forward with stem cell transplant next month. The Bridge allows him to share information and keep friends and family informed without having to talk with everyone when he doesn't feel up to it - we also get to leave him messages of support and encouragement.
Jodios - enjoy the last bit of time with your kids - it goes WAY too fast, doesn't it
To the Colorado Contingent - Sounds like it was great fun - my husband want to retire to Colorado in a few years. We visited last summer and looked at Colorado Springs, Boulder, Denver and a few areas around there. We loved Boulder and thought it would be a great place to settle except we thought it was too pricey. We want to check out Fort Collins this summer - any other suggestions??
I am hoping it will be nice this weekend so DH and I can hit the trails - have a great day everyone! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Good morning beautiful ladies:flowerforyou:

I just lost my post and don`t have time to retype it:noway: :grumble: :sad: ! Those darn computer gremlins:devil: ! Maybe I`ll have time later to come back and respond again.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!!! Drink your water :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and log your food!!!

Hugs,
Grumpy DeeDee in NC