Super Salad September!

124»

Replies

  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hi y'all! Tomorrow is my 5K and I'm taking the rest of the day off. Visiting the friend who inspired our team after the walk, then home to get some stuff done around here, probably nap! I read all your posts, love all this positive energy!
  • Phoenix4me18
    Phoenix4me18 Posts: 133 Member
    Hi all! Finally got to meet my brand new baby niece Saturday and oh my goodness she is just so precious! She has thick, long dark hair. I have never seen a baby with so much hair. Everything about her is just perfect. It was heaven to be able to meet her in person and hold her in my arms. Makes me realize how fast my own are growing up!

    Was a really busy weekend despite having an extra day off. Seemed to just fly by. Between meeting my new niece, soccer games and trying to get all the other household stuff and errands done for the upcoming week we stayed hopping. I did manage to squeeze in a date night with DH. It was very nice despite some of the frustrations we ran into. We had our hearts set on this really wonderful Greek restaurant only to get there and find out they were permanently closed. So, we opted for a Thai restaurant that we both really enjoyed - permanently closed as well. ARGH! We wound up in a small local restaurant, which, was nice. We enjoyed a nice walk through the strip of quaint little shops. It was quite nice. We both ate too much and none of it could have been considered healthy, but, with as hard as I have been working I really wasn't going to sweat my first glass of wine in over a month! It was nice to just kind of kick back and enjoy the time with him. Love my kids to death, but, with their endless fighting lately - man, was it nice to have a break from it all!

    Got to the office today and got to unpack all my boxes. They did a major reorganization of our group and I moved to a new cube. It is a cozy little corner, smaller than my last cube, but, more private which is nice. I have this really blank corner in it which I think I will fill with a nice little plant and make it seem a little warmer. Kind of nice to move to a new place (even if it is on the same floor). Just makes me feel renewed. Hopefully this added change will just add to the new sense of calm and content I have had lately.

    Classes start in a couple of weeks and I am actually looking forward to it. I feel as though I can now approach this in a much more balanced way without it completely taking over my life. My priority is my health right now and really, the ultimate goal is to simply pass the class. By Thanksgiving I will have started the application process for the CPA exam and will be ordering my review materials. It makes me nervous and sick, but, I have faith that I will do ok. I will be really glad when I am done taking it and I don't have to worry about it again.

    Hope everyone had a great weekend!
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,878 Member
    Hi All, still super busy with work. I ended up not walking the 5K due to the ankle/heel problems I've been having, but I was there to see off my team and we had a nice visit after. I still have work to finish up tonight so no time to do much catching up, yet. Had a good, almost full ETL day, looking forward to an even better day tomorrow. Congrats on the new member of the family Laura!
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    Mihani, how disappointing you couldn't walk your 5K. I hope your ankle/heel problem can be resolved.
    NewMe, your niece sounds like a real cutie-pie. Congratulations, auntie! But no wine for a month! That's impressive. I do like my wine in the evening. Change can be good; you're taking it all in stride. It's inspiring to read about your CPA aspirations. You will do well, I'm sure.
    Hubby and I watched the lunar eclipse from our back deck last night, so I drank a bit more than normal (since the whole thing took almost 2 hours to complete). It was pretty cool. I ate too much, too. Today wasn't much better. We bowl now on two teams that have just started up, so at least we are getting out, moving, meeting new people. But I don't want to get in the habit of eating out afterwards -- too many calories, way too much sodium, and not easy to log it all -- which defeats the purpose of exercise. Since we returned from our 3 back-to-back trips, I've been eating like there's no tomorrow, and I haven't successfully put the brakes on it yet. Is it tension release? Is it anxiety? Is it a silly fear of going hungry? I still haven't figured it out.
    Here it is, the end of September and I still have not reached my goal of being under 130 pounds in 2015. I'm not discouraged yet, but I am starting to get concerned that my mind and my body are not working in sync. Or they're both working in sync against me! Aaarrgh!
    "Keep your eye on the prize." That's my motto lately, trying to keep myself focused.
    Happy Monday to all!
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    Hi aLL,

    I am back from Nashville and Memphis. I made it through eating pretty well, thanks to the Happy Cow app. Great little app. The first night we ate at a raw vegan restaurant for the first time. Funniest thing; we drove up to the Avo restaurant in Nashville, my husband did a double take, the restaurant is in an metal storagecontainer. We almost turned around but glad we did not, when we walked in the restuarant was very trendy and modern and the found was delicious. I ordered the vegetable lasagna. After that experience I have decided to learn how to make raw food dinners in a dehydrator.

    Anyway, I used the app all weekend to find us vegeterain restaurants. One restaurant was not very healhty but was vegeterain. Their stick was to mimick southern found.

    Ate at my sister is laws one night. Of course she fixed a chicken in a cream sauce and had a salad with no vegetables in in. So that was a rough night. Ended up eating a plane plate of salad with some fruit and side of veggies. Oh, well. and the other night we went out for ribs--oh boy, Only thing on the menu was a side of red beans and rice. Hungry that night as well. Yesterday, I was so hungry I know I overate. But, we ate at the Two Vegan Sistas in Memphis then the Sunflower Cafe in Nashville. I am still full today.

    We saw 2 sights per city
    Nashville: Andrew Jackson's house, Downtown went to listen to country music and spent an afternoon if the Gaylord Hotel.
    Memphis: Elvis's house, and the Civil rights museum.

    Mahini; hope your heel/ankle feels better soon

    newme: congrats on the new nice

    Libasico: you still have a few months maybe you can meet your goal. How far away are you from it?

  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    Yummy dressing just made for my salad. So easy to make

    Cilantro Ginger Dressing
    www.DrFuhrman.com

    Serves: 2
    Preparation Time: 10 minutes

    Ingredients:
    1 large banana, peeled (or other tropical fruit)
    1/4 cup cilantro
    1 lime, juiced
    1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped or more to taste
    1/2 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, or more to taste
    1/4 cup water (or maybe coconut milk I used coconut almond milk)
    (i added 1 tbs seasme seeds)

    Instructions:
    Blend all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender.
    Per Serving:
    CALORIES 61; PROTEIN 1g; CARBOHYDRATES 16g; TOTAL FAT 0.2g; SATURATED FAT 0.1g; SODIUM 4mg; FIBER 1.8g; BETA-CAROTENE 110ug; VITAMIN C 14mg; CALCIUM 9mg; IRON 0.2mg; FOLATE 16ug; MAGNESIUM 20mg; ZINC 0.1mg; SELENIUM 0.7ug
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Hi guys,Sorry for the quick drop in. I've had rotten luck lately - first my ankle, which is almost better, and now a nasty cold. I can't complain since it's been so long since my last cold, but all I want to do is stay in bed! Oh well. I'm on a roll with some good eating and good meals cooked from the meal plan for the week though! Back to bed and I'll check back tomorrow! xo
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    HI All,

    Lia I hope you feel better soon. NO fun :(

    Had a great eating day yesterday. Made a 3 course Indian Dinner last night.

    Salad w/ Ginger Cilantro Dressing
    Curry Pumpkin Soup
    Red lentils and vegetables over black rice and braised kale.

    Lots of leftovers.

    Nothing new and exciting to report. Everyone have a lovely day.
  • liapr
    liapr Posts: 648 Member
    Wow sounds like lots of people on a roll here!!

    Terri, mmmm, indian! I have been craving indian a lot lately. I made this this week from Happy Herbivore:

    Chana Aloo Stew

    2 cups veg broth
    1 onion diced
    2 garlic cloves minced
    1 tsp ground cumin
    2 carrots diced
    2 potatoes diced
    1⁄4 cup raisins
    1 tbsp garam masala
    ground coriander
    15 oz can chickpeas drained & rinsed
    4 cups fresh spinach
    3 cups cooked brown rice
    1⁄2 lemon cut into 4 wedges
    cilantro (optional)

    Directions:

    1. Line a large skillet with 1⁄4 cup broth.
    2. Sauté onion and garlic for 1 minute.
    3. Stir in cumin to coat, then add carrots and potatoes, and more broth if needed.
    4. Sauté 5 minutes.
    5. Add raisins and remaining broth.
    6. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer 10-15 minutes, until carrots and potatoes are fork-tender.
    7. Stir in half the garam masala and a dash or two coriander.
    8. Turn off heat and rest 5 minutes.
    9. Taste. Add more garam masala, coriander, and a squirt or two of ketchup to taste. (Add more broth if desired).
    10.Stir in chickpeas and heat over low until thoroughly warm.
    11.Stir in spinach, mixing it so it folds in and cooks down, about 1 minute.
    12. Garnish with cilantro and serve over cooked rice, squeezing fresh lemon over just before serving.

    I omitted the raisins and the ketchup though (not a fan of either) and it was delish. Potatoes were a bit mushy so it really created a "comfort" stew.

    Lisa, great attitude!! I guess you can keep on keepin on. I'm sure it'll come or it'll click. Are you extra hungry?? I eat way too quickly and that is half my trouble... trying to work on that. I read someone say that they tried eating with their non-dominant hand to slow them down, lol.

    Laura, you will be great with the CPA stuff!!! You've figured out what you want and like and I hope that makes all the difference. How is the new cube?? I would also trade extra privacy for smaller small!

    Mihani, how is your ankle/heel feeling? I am going to physio on Friday for mine! Sounds like you're having a good eating week despite the crazyness!

    Feeling a bit more normal today and less stuffed but I've been spending a good amount of time sleeping this week! still on the meal plans but have also been reading a lot of Geneen Roth because I am sick of being a crazy person about food and diets and my body, etc, and her books always make me feel like normalcy is possible!

    Happy Wednesday-which-feels-like-Thursday, everyone :)
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    tdh, you did great. I use Happy Cow too. I sympathize with the dinner event at sister's house; sometimes a plate of lettuce is all there is. Been there. So sorry. At least sister didn't berate you for not eating. I get that at step-daughter's house. Oh, well. I expect BBQ joints and German restaurants to have very little to eat, too, so I always eat beforehand. We get a hotel room with a 'frig and microwave, then we hit the closest grocery store for salad in a bag or something so I won't go hungry. I'm still perfecting how to do this efficiently.

    I was 137 this morning -- that's bad. I'm usually 133 or 135 but I had a couple of high sodium days so I still haven't shed that. Yuck. So my goal of being under 130 pounds is anywhere from 7 to 3 pounds… there's still October, November and December to go!

    Cilantro Ginger Dressing sounds very good. I have started making most of my dressings from scratch so I will try this one. Red lentils and vegetables over rice and kale sounds really tasty, too! Send those leftovers my way!

    liapr, hope your cold is better. Thanks for the stew recipe. I like Happy Herbivore, too. I think I'd leave out the ketchup, too. I like the idea of eating with the non-dominant hand, as I do need to slow down and chew!

    I recently saw a poster with a mother and daughter. The daughter asks her mother, "What's normal, mommy?" and the mother tells her daughter, "Normal is just a setting on the dryer, honey." Normalcy is possible!!
  • Phoenix4me18
    Phoenix4me18 Posts: 133 Member
    Hi all! Whew! Where did September go? Anyone? I feel like it just blew right past! I am officially settled in my new cube and I have to say it is really nice. It is a lot more quiet back here than I would have thought possible (our floor is already really quiet) so, I actually have to put in headphones occasionally just for a little noise. I am definitely getting a plant for my desk just so I have something pretty to see when I walk in every morning.

    Everything is moving along. I have a feeling the next couple of months are just going to fly by. School starts back in 11 days which always makes everything fly by. I am a little nervous at the thought of trying to maintain my healthy changes with school and everything else. I need to definitely get back to prepping some crockpot meals or casseroles for during the week. I am trying to approach school this go around with a little less obsession and keep it as a side thing to work, family and my priorities health wise. I think I just need to be ok with not getting A's on everything, which, will be a challenge for my perfectionist attitude when it comes to school. The thing is, at this point, I feel like my health is just way more important and - that is really a good thing!

    Lisa - your time watching the lunar eclipse sounded really fun. It was all clouded over in our neck of the woods, so, were pretty bummed. I do have to admit, after I enjoyed my wine I realized just how much I have missed it! lol You are really close to your goal! Sending positive vibes your way that you reach it by the end of the year.

    tdh - your recent trip sounds like it was a blast! Thanks for posting more recipes, always fun to try something new.

    Mihani - bummer about the 5k - injuries stink! Hope you heal up fast!

    liapr - hope you feel better soon. Hopefully all that great healthy food will help move the cold out faster. Thanks to you too for the recipe. I plan to try out some of this new stuff on the weekends when I have a bit more time to be adventurous and actually cook something a bit more involved. Thanks for the encouragement on my CPA. It is kind of a relief to finally feel settled on a path. Sometimes I still feel like I get distracted by all the other things I would really like to do. I often feel like I need to put on blinders and just stay focused on what I am doing and where it will take me. Kind of like weight loss! lol

    Off to work I go! Have great days all!
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
    Here is the recipe. It is good but for my test it needs a lot more spice then I added. It makes a boat load of food. So, I have several portions frozen for later this month.

    Busy trouble shootint at work today and did not get a chance to eat lunch. Gonna be a little low in calories today. That's ok I am sure I was over eating out all last week.

    Lia; thanks for the recipe I will try that one soon.

    Lisa: I feel this is your month. Down the scale you go. Thanks for sharing what you do while traveling, I think the ridge microwave idea is a good one. Will try to do that next time.

    Newme: you have a lot on your plate. Hang in there. yes it is hard to give up on perfectionism.



    Average Rating: ★★★★ [3.67 stars] ☆
    Rated By: 6 members
    Rate It:
    (click a star to rate this recipe)
    Red Curried Lentils and Vegetables with Black Rice and Kale
    Kim Smith

    Serves: 12

    Ingredients:
    6 small sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks
    1 large onion, diced
    2 leeks, sliced (white part and 1 inch of green)
    1 1/2 cups dried shitake mushrooms (or 3 cups fresh mushrooms)
    1/2 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight in water, rinsed
    5 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
    3 ribs celery
    2 cups carrot juice
    1 cup water
    1/4 cup Dr. Fuhrman's Vegizest or other no-salt seasoning blend, adjusted to taste
    3 tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
    2 tablespoons turmeric
    1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
    1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
    2 cups broccoli, chopped
    5 medium carrots, chopped
    1 teaspoon Bragg's liquid aminos
    1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
    3 large bunches kale (see note)
    3 cups cooked black rice (see note)
    1/4 cup sesame seeds
    1 bunch cilantro, chopped for sprinkling on top

    Instructions:
    In large pot, combine sweet potatoes, onion, leeks, mushrooms, pinto beans, cilantro stems and celery. Add carrot juice and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are tender, about
    1 1/2 hours. Add Vegizest, curry powder and turmeric, stir well. Puree mixture until smooth with hand held immersion blender or high-powered blender.

    Add lentils and simmer for 10 minutes, then add chopped cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes . Add liquid aminos and black pepper.

    In a separate pan, water saute kale until tender, stir in cooked black rice.

    Serve curry on top of the kale and black rice mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro leaves.

    Note: This makes lots of leftovers and freezes well. Store kale/black rice mixture in freezer separate from curry. If you are planning on leftovers, you can also just reduce the amount of kale and rice and cook them fresh each time you serve the curry.

    A spicier version can be made by adding hot peppers with the onion/sweet potato mixture
    Per Serving:
    CALORIES 303; PROTEIN 15g; CARBOHYDRATES 59g; TOTAL FAT 3.2g; SATURATED FAT 0.5g; SODIUM 167mg; FIBER 15.3g; BETA-CAROTENE 14841ug; VITAMIN C 83mg; CALCIUM 185mg; IRON 6mg; FOLATE 219ug; MAGNESIUM 126mg; ZINC 3mg; SELENIUM 6.8ug