W.F.D. 6/15/2011

What's for Dinner?  Last night, it was a Middle Eastern inspired meal, and I quite enjoyed it.  I'm honestly not certain whether Paul liked it or not... his first reaction (just looking at his plate) was not good.  After he ate, though, he said "So, what inspired that healthy and delicious meal?"... Was he being facetious or did he think it was delicious?  I don't know, but I liked it so I guess that's worthy of blogging.  That and the fact that it's been several weeks since my last post.  And I don't want to talk about weight-loss today.  I'd rather talk about food. 

The Menu:

Nutty-Pilaf Stuffed Round Zucchini with Unie Kaas Reserve

Israeli Eggplant Salad

Hummus

Mini Pita Bread 

First, I made the eggplant salad (because it is meant to be served cold or room-temperature).  I followed a recipe (I hardly ever use recipes!) from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.  The dish turned out deliciously, I couldn't stop nibbling on it while I prepared the rest of the meal!  To make the salad, you cube the eggplant, toss it with 1/2tsp salt, and then set it aside.

Cook 1 1/2 cups minced onions in 2T olive oil for 5 minutes, then add 2-3 cloves minced garlic and cook 5 minutes more.

Add the eggplant and another 1/2 tsp salt.  Stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary to prevent sticking (I didn't have to add any water).  After 20 minutes you stir in 1-2T red wine vinegar and black pepper to taste.  I didn't have red wine vinegar so I did 3/4t of each white balsamic and apple cider vinegar... it worked out! 

The stuffed zucchini was pretty easy although I didn't follow any recipe.  I simply halved the globe-shaped squash and used a spoon to scoop a small amount of the flesh away, leaving a cavity for stuffing.

I placed cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roasted them at 425 until they started to brown (I didn't keep track of how long it was, keep an eye on them... 10 minutes or so?).

While the zucchini roasted, I cooked a box of "Nutted Rice Pilaf" that I picked up at Whole Foods, according to package directions.  Zucchini is a very watery veggie, so before stuffing them with the rice I picked up each roasted half and squeezed it gently over the sink, allowing excess moisture to drain out.  Then, I stuffed each one with a good spoonful of pilaf and topped each with a small amount of the world's most delicious cheese... it's an aged Gouda, I believe, and it has little crystallized bits in it which give it a sort of crunchy yet rich and smooth texture.  It's divine.  So, once each zucchini had been stuffed and topped with Unie Kaas, I put them into a 450 toaster oven for just a few minutes until the cheese began to bubble, keeping an eye (and nose) on them as they finished up.

The finished meal was, to me, quite satisfying.  A glass of Newmans Own Cabernet Sauvignon for me, a big frosty draft beer for Paul, and a spread of pitas, hummus, eggplant dip, and stuffed zucchini made for a nice weekday summer meal.  I love letting my produce drawer dictate what's for dinner, and that's exactly what happened last night.

Bringing Sexy Back

I am on a mission.  I am determined to get myself into shape and to get my body back.  I have reached an all time low... well, an all time high, really.  I had noticed that my jeans (which were supposed to be just temporary "big" jeans until I lost allllll the baby weight from my 2nd pregnancy) were starting to be uncomfortably tight.  I realized that I was gaining weight.  I kept telling myself I'd start getting more serious about getting some exercise every day and that my body was just desperate to lose the weight, so a small change like 30 minutes of walking every day was all it would take.  I was continuing to eat whatever I wanted and not actually doing the walking that I knew I needed if I was to lose weight, let alone stop gaining it. 

A few weeks ago a Groupon-like site featured a deal for a place called MedShape Weight Loss Clinic, and I bought it.  For $30 I am to receive 5 weekly injections of "metabolic uplift" vitamins.  At my first visit, I was weighed.  I'm having a hard time even typing the number that came up on that scale.  I was shocked and spent the rest of the day feeling utterly depressed.  That evening, when I had a bit of time all to myself, I sobbed.

Waaahhhhh...... sad.... poor fat me......  but then I got motivated as hell.

In my first week on the "metabolic uplift" I logged everything I was consuming.  I cut out alcohol (waaaahhhhh.... sad....), cut out tortillas (oh how I love tortillas!), and ate a lot of protein and very little fat or carbs.  At the next week's appointment I got on the scale eagerly, hoping that my week of being hungry had me headed in the right direction.  I was absolutely thrilled to see that I had lost SEVEN POUNDS!  Talk about motivating!

The following week was Emma's 5th birthday.  I was wrapped up in planning, cleaning, prepping, shopping, etc.  I ate cupcakes.  I ate cake.  I ate tortillas and cheese (we made amazingly delicious enchiladas with home-made verde sauce) and hash brown casserole (sour cream, condensed soup, cheese, potatoes... deliciously fattening).  I drank beer.  And at the following weigh-in at MedShape I almost started sobbing again... I went from dropping 7lbs in week 1 to gaining a pound in week 2.  So, my total 2 week weight loss was less than my 1st week... 6lbs down in 2 weeks.  Not something to cry about, still motivating, but disappointed with myself at how quickly I took steps backwards.  If I had only lost 1 pound that week I'd have been satisfied, but gaining is the opposite of what I need to be doing.

Back to motivated as hell.  On to week 3.  I'm back to logging my food.  I'm eating Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal for breakfast, bran flakes or Special K with fat free milk for lunch, a protein bar for a snack, an apple for another snack, tons of water, coffee/green tea/diet cola for caffeine-needs (which are aplenty), and a satisfying protein-and-vegetable based dinner.  Minimal carbs, minimal fat (in the form of avocado, olive oil, and light cheese), and minimal sugar.

Yesterday at nap time I finally got some exercise and it felt so good!  I've had a yucky cold all week and have been feeling rather wiped out, so my morning walks haven't been happening.  It's also gotten to be quite extremely hot out, so if the walk hasn't happened by 9ish a.m., it's not happening.  I recently discovered that Netflix has a bunch of work-out movies available in their Watch Instantly library and added a bunch of them to my queue.  I'm looking forward to naptime today so I can do the Crunch Slimdown pilates/yoga video again, it was great!  I'm sore all over today, hungry, and feeling back on track.

Eyes on the prize.  I'm bringing sexy back, dammit, and that's all there is to it.  I've decided that blogging about my progress might help me stay the course.  I feel more accountable for my actions when I announce them to the world, even if the world is oblivious to this l'il blog of mine.  I'm expressing my intention.   I'm putting it out there.   I am determined, world!