Monday, August 27, 2012

Woosh!

If time went any faster, it would be warp speed. My apologies for my absence over the last couple weeks. There have been many reasons, most importantly I had to get this little lady off to college.
She's now safely tucked into her dorm with enough clothing to outfit the entire hall. My little girl sure is growing up fast. Today she declared a double major in pre-law and English education. I know whatever she puts her mind to will be a success. Hugs and kisses to my baby girl. I'm going to miss her lots.

Also, confession time. I fell face first off the wagon for a bit there. Well, maybe that's a little dramatic, but portions and "cheats" were starting to creep in a little larger and more frequently for a while. I only gained a pound and a half, but it's time to put a stop to the madness and get back on track. All in all, I'm still down a little over 30 lbs. Today was the official start of a new dietbet, this time, I'm the leader. I think that's going to be an important source of accountability for me. I'm doing week one of South Beach again to jump start things and so far so good today. I had plain Greek yogurt for breakfast because it was the item closest to the front of the fridge as I rushed out the door; I don't recommend it. It was pretty tart and blah without fruit. For a snack I had a little low fat cheese, then lunch was cauliflower soup (delicious and creamy with scant diary, see recipe below, sort of cream of potato flavor) and a nice big salad. Oh and sugar-free lime Jell-o. I'm really excited that soup time has returned. It really helps keep me feeling satisfied, it's cheap, and yummy. I had an event at work until 6 with lots of tempting appetizers, but I walked away from them all. I definitely have much better control if I don't start at all. I had some more soup when I got home. I need to get so more veg in before the day is done, so I'll probably make another salad in a while. I'm not hungry at the moment.

"Cream" of Cauliflower Soup
(From the South Beach Supercharged book)
1 medium onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 head of cauliflower
4 c of low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 c of light sour cream
salt & pepper to taste
 shredded parmesan and romano cheese for garnish  

Saute onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes until onion softens. Add chopped cauliflower, saute another 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and cover. Simmer until cauliflower is easily smooshed with a fork. Process in a food processor or blender, pulsing until the soup is creamy and combined. Add sour cream. Mix again. All done! Serve with shredded cheese as a garnish. I bet scallions would be a nice addition also. 
So damned good.

I don't know exactly what the calories are for this, but I'm guessing you get a good 4-6 servings depending on the size of the bowl. It's not going to break the calorie bank though. 

In other news, graduate school classes start up for me on Wednesday. I need to be extra careful in planning so I don't find myself snarfing something from the vending machine. I need to figure out something quick and tasty to eat after work, before class. Thankfully my job and my classes are at the same location so I'll be able to use most of the hour before class to enjoy a healthy dinner. 

What else? I think know my dog has fleas, so he needs a trip to the groomer which he hates; I can expect the cold shoulder from him for about a month after. I'm dejunking the entire house drawer by drawer, purging feels good. The Solar Overlord has finally had mercy on us, so we can enjoy the outdoors again (with liberal doses of Zyrtec, thankyouverymuch ragweed, you jerk). I started watching Forks Over Knives again today at lunch which really has me thinking about alternatives to meat that are plant-based. I'm not able to eat soy because I have a thyroid condition (soy can suppress thyroid function), so I'm trying to figure out what would be a good replacement. Beans maybe? I don't think I'll ever go totally vegetarian, but I do want to cut back on the animal products. Other than that, not much else is new. I'll be back soon, promise!

1 comment:

  1. Good luck to your daughter. College is such an amazing experience.

    I like plain greek yogurt mixed with something else otherwise it's like sour cream. I pair it with almonds and honey or some granola. Yum!

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