Bunso Is Back

[RAS]

Hey Buns. Merry Christmas.This sounds interesting.When it is all done can you send a pict.would love to see this.

[bunsofaluminum]

Hey Buns. Merry Christmas.This sounds interesting.When it is all done can you send a pict.would love to see this.

Oh yes, there will be pictures

[bunsofaluminum]

the cake turned out SO cool! I wish posting pics here was easier, but I think I'm just gonna open a flickr account so I can just do it. Look for pictures...eventually...or like me at FB to see it but I will eventually post it here for all to see. It turned out very cool.

I didn't eat any of the cake, though I had a taste or two of frosting, and maybe a single bite of one of the candies I used to decorate it.

Then, of all things, my ex wanted to take everyone out for dinner, which I passed on, so the birthday party itself wasn't huge. His sisters and I just took the cake and gifts to him at his place, and he opened gifts, we sang to him, he appreciated the cake nicely and then I went to my sister's party with my older girl and her fiance, while younger daughter opted for fast food dinner with her brother and dad.

I did EXCEEDINGLY well at the party, though not perfect, but my goal of eating like a skinny person really paid off. I limited myself to non-sweets (except one taste of a scrumptious delicacy, that was marzipan wrapped in puff pastry...one slice, about 1/2"...oh MAN was that good) and one selection on my plate. That is, I didn't take a little of this and a little of that. I put salmon and flat bread on my plate and ate that. Then, after visiting and people watching for a bit, I had a plate with tortilla chips, guacamole, and red salsa. Then I had the bit of marzipan pastry. And then I had fun visiting with a few people and I was done. I also had some adult beverage and got a wee bit tipsy, but nothing major.

And nothing that I ate triggered anything. HOWEVER, I did get a jones for chocolate yesterday, so I bought a nice dark chocolate Lindt bar and shared it with my girls.

Today's feast is Mac N Not Cheese and steamed cabbage. I had that for lunch, and filled up nicely before work. I brought three cutie oranges, and an avocado in case of getting hungry. (I promised myself avocado for my Christmas feast foods, and by George! I gotta be at work tonight? I'm gonna have avocado IF I get hungry)

finished with Christmas shopping, and actually am feeling kinda good for a change. This is SO not my favorite time of year, but for some reason, yesterday and today I just relaxed into it. I went to a former church for a kick and was thrilled to see familiar faces from years ago and then a decent work shift yesterday.

Got the last of needed groceries today, got a good workout in at Curves, wrapped a few things, made my "feast" dish, expecting kids for Christmas Eve...gonna unwrap, since my older girl and I both work tomorrow...and probably go sing carols at my mom's church IF the roads are okay. Either way, tomorrow is Christmas. I have some nuts in-shell, a pomegranate, some cuties oranges, and some dark Lindt chocolate. All good.

[RAS]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.ENJOY YOUR DAY.LET US KNOW HOW YOU CELEBRATED.HAVE A GREAT YEAR.RAS

[eri]

Happy birthday dear buns! Thanks for sharing a bit of your life with us here! ♡

[janluvs2heel]

Happy Birthday, Heidi!!!

[bunsofaluminum]

Okay, looks like I made it through Christmas. Thank you Lord that it's over. Is that Grinchy? But, truth be told, I did let myself begin to enjoy as the day got closer.

Figured something out, too. I avoid the shops pretty much throughout December because I hate "xmas muzak" it makes me cranky. So, i don't shop, and therefore the day draws near and I've not finished getting gifts. so the stress builds until I've found something for everyone, and that makes Christmas preparations less than enjoyable for me. Maybe next time, I'll shop online. And...I gotta get smart like a few people I've known, who shop throughout the year. If they find something that looks suitable for someone in their lives, in May...they buy it and set it aside. Durr. I could do that.

Or shop online and avoid the Xmas Muzak and crowds and lines. And so forth.

Food is back to normal, though dark chocolate is still calling my name. Maybe I shouldn't have had the Lindt bar. But it sure was good. Overall, I have been successful. I didn't go nuts for a month (or three) like last year. I did indulge every day, from Dec 24 until Dec 28, and with the family Christmas party on the 28th I had my last feasty-off-plan treats such as caramel popcorn and fudge and toffee.

TODAY'S FOOD:
B: savory steel cut oats w/kale
S: wild rice w/toasted slivered almonds and sliced green onion
L: chili and polenta
D: hmmm...dunno yet. There's aloo gobi made. Maybe that with whirled peas on top.

On Saturday night, I'll take the tree down, and Sunday is Epiphany. There is a worship service in the evening, with a potluck and fellowship following. I'll make chili to bring. Corn bread. that'll do.

[mtns]

I think you did great through the Holidays. I had some sugar snacks during the holidays and am trying to get off of it all. It is amazing how addicting sugar can be. Your food looks great.
Have a Happy New Year, Kathy

[eri]

Happy new year! Hope 2013 brings you only the best!

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi eri and kathy

I think 2013 is gonna be just fine.

Already, we've had one miraculous thing happen: My nephew, coming home from a New Year's Eve party fell asleep at the wheel, and went off the road. He totaled the car and plowed through two yards and ended up in a garage, after narrowly missing a dog kennel, but he came out of it without a scratch.

When I think what might have been, I am so grateful that it was not worse. Oh Lord! whew.

so, I've already put one thing in my "Good Things Jar" that Rip has over on the E2 site.
http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/c ... od-things/

I wonder what else will end up in there. hmmm...

Maybe I'll fall in love. Wouldn't that be nice?

TODAY'S FOOD:
B: two nuked sweet potatoes w/steamed cabbage
L: ratatouille over brown rice
D: savory steel cut oats
S: a candy cane

[bunsofaluminum]

TODAY'S FOOD:

B: rice with garbanzo's and saute'd browned cabbage
L: ratatouille over rice
D: chili, coleslaw, corn bread
S: pomegranate

the above mentioned chili and coleslaw was at a potluck after worship this evening...which was WONDERFUL! I'm hoping this little group will keep going, and God will bring more and we become a little community.

We also had "crackers" (the English traditional party favors that you pull, and they pop, and inside are paper crowns, little toys, and jokes.) that was fun! I met a new friend, and found out where there is a Bible study on Weds mornings, so that could be the beginning of something. I'd like to meet people and make friends in my new home

we'll see. Meanwhile, it certainly appears that my eating is very normal. The few days of holiday feasting did not morph into a binge or otherwise out of control eating.

I will stick to my goal of not eating seconds. See if that will get the pounds moving again.

[bunsofaluminum]

busy today, a good kind of busy.

After lounging for a half hour after my alarm, not wanting to get up, I finally got up, dressed, and went to Curves for a workout. Kicked my butt! then took paperwork out to my part time employer...but first, a stop at Sprouts, which is a health food store.

I've been looking for natural external care products (hair, teeth, skin) and they are nowhere in "regular" stores like Walmart or Smith's... a little at Winco Kiss My Face shampoo. Well, Sprouts has everything, and now I know where I'll go to get my natural lotions and shampoos and stuff. Prolly a lot of my produce, too. It's a local store and I want to support it. Now that I know it's there, I'll be hitting that place frequently.

There's two things I want to do differently: exercise more and eat more slowly.

So, maybe a workout every day at Curves, and I already sort of have chosen "no seconds" as a rule of thumb...and of course, if I"m still hungry after 20 min, having more, but my default mode IS "gonna have more of that!" and I've got to quit it. so... sometimes I remember to eat slowly and savor my food, but sometimes I don't, so I'll make "no seconds" my default setting and start practicing mindful eating more often.

I think mindful eating will help in gratitude, too.

also thinking about using public transportation more often. I live a block from a major highway, with about half a dozen bus routes on it. That Sprouts grocer is right on the bus route, along with lots of other things like my bank and the library and city offices, the park, etc.

And come better weather, I can walk to work It's about two miles, and perfect since this is a sit down job. Hm. I wonder if there's an insurance discount for using my car minimally...hmmm...

TODAY'S FOOD

S: a braeburn apple
B: nuked tatties with chili
L: a little bit of butternut soup (late brekkie, wasn't hungry)
D: butternut soup w/cornbread

I made yummy cornbread yesterday for the potluck, to go with my chili which was also yummy. Hm, this is kinda cool. I just put it together without needing a recipe. Used flax seed instead of egg, and applesauce instead of oil. I did spray the pan. But BOY is that cornbread yummy. It's moist and slightly sweet, and rose just fine.

Now I'm hungry!

[Chile]

Well, Sprouts has everything, and now I know where I'll go to get my natural lotions and shampoos and stuff. Prolly a lot of my produce, too. It's a local store and I want to support it. Now that I know it's there, I'll be hitting that place frequently.

Just wanted to mention that Sprouts is not really local to just your area. They are on most of the West Coast, especially now since they bought up Sunflower Markets last year. (Map of their stores)

I used to shop at several Sunflower stores and the single Sprouts in the Tucson area. Now I shop at multiple Sprout locations, depending on where my other errands take me. They do have lots of natural products for inside and out, as well as a decent selection of organic produce.

Keep in mind, too, that they offer a 10% discount for case purchases. (Also bulk if you buy by the bag - as in a 25 lb bag of rolled oats, for example.) I always buy a case of oatmilk at a time to help with the cost.

[bunsofaluminum]

Oh...I think because I considered Sunflower a local store, that Sprouts would be mostly, too. But a bit more local than whole foods, and MUCH more local, as in "in my neighborhood"

anyway, I was tickled to see their selection of skin care products, since I'm determined to use only natural, only sparingly, in the shower and for moisturizing my skin. No mineral oils or petrolatum for me, nope. nevermore. It's a very nice store. I like it a lot.

[janluvs2heel]

Hey Buns,

I was reading in someone else's Journal & you had posted in there, that you didn't have TV anymore, assuming you meant cable. I posted in there but in case you didn't go back, I have been watching Hulu, for free. Within 24 hrs. they have almost all the TV shows on. Last night I watched Biggest Loser from Sun. pm & this am I saw last night's show. I have also watched quite a few other shows as well. There are fewer commercials as well.