MMXI = 2011

[Veg]

My First McDougall Journal

In hindsight 2010 seemed to have went by so fast. I started having more of an interest in my health that year. I read a few books related to healthy eating and I began practicing a new McDougall lifestyle. The holidays came and I reverted to SAD eating. I experienced some McDougall revenge for it with gastrointestional issues.

Now it's a new year and I begin again with a detox from the SAD eating. For two days I've been experienceing a constant headache. The first day of the New Year I did well with some light exercise and healthy eating. Waking up the second day with a headache I went ahead and gave myself a cup of the stiff morning drip which helped to ease or rather prolong my detoxing pains. Nevertheless I have persevered.

I have utilized the pinned list of MWL friendly recipes in the Recipe section on here by making my first ever chunky chili. I am plesantly surprised by its outcome. I have read on here that preparation is the key to success which I know from applied truth in my own line of work. Thus I have detailed my entire month of January with a plan and it is going swimmingly.

[Veg]

Weclome MMXI. I hope you find a nice home here and have great success too

Thank you debbie for my warm welcome to my online digital journal where hundreds of eyeballs may be reading this now and millions of eyeballs may be reading this one day!

Now this is where I sometimes get creative with my "online" writing. Don't mind me. It was encouraged in the lounge to do something for our minds this year so I'm cleaning out the creepy crawly's in my upstairs attic. I don't see any font choices on here so I'll use what I have with format. I think if I add color it will be too distracting from the content. Kind of like ugly HTML pages. Just playing around!


MIND {PURGE}

I feel like this is going to be a wonderfully {serendipitous} year! Like March 17th is going to be extra lucky all the way through Christmas! I don't normally make public predictions but I'm having a really good feeling about 2011! It feels like 2011 is finally going to be my year to arrive. Is it the food making me overly optimistic already or am I naturally like this?

It's funny. I thought that 2009 was the end of the decade but I've been hearing from others that 2010 is the end of a decade. What do we call the end of the first decade of a century, the-end-of-the-early-millennia? That seems longer than saying the end of the 20's and so forth. I was trying to look back at 2000-2010 and evaluate it for myself.

*Cue nostalgia music and blur picture*

RIP.
All the styles, all the hair cuts, the music, the scene, the laughter. Then I thought back to the 1990's era and I found myself laughing at the shadow of memory of myself back then.
/RIP.

I knew exactly what I was going to be back then too. I just didn't believe it was actually going to happen! My first glimmer of knowing was at the very early age of 6. And I see my path rise all the way to the top of the pinnacle.

But my mind stops, pauses and flashes and I see that times have changed and it can't go by the old models and design it as a pinnacle anymore. The design was always meant to be a circle. Everyone and everything is connected. It was never separate or compartmentalized. I saw that even earlier then planned. One World. Sustainable. Community. More peaceful and agreeable this time. Earth workers. Craftsmen.

Ok, shifting the tone not like in a poetry slam though sometimes I can get flowery.

Favorite quote I heard this week on the radio in a song, "Let it go - that is the best course of therapy." I think it was a rap song, which given the demographics of the population I don't know why the majority of the music is rap songs? John Lennon had it right with, "Let it be." Correct?

Others may be ? A lot of what I write has layers of personal meaning to me and I've been at it for years like a tornado ripping and over pages. But don't worry the winds have been dull as ever with occasional howling and change.

[sksamboots]

Hope your day was good. Glad your here

[Veg]

Thank you sksamboots it was a good day.

After I finished off the chunky chili I went back to the recipe area on here and picked Caribbean Vegetable Stew from the Clickable list of MWL recipes from McDougall Newsletters.

Here's a picture of it from yesterday:


I can't figure out how to sign up for the newsletters so the recipes come to me.

[jsl]

That stew looks yummy! Did you like it?

[Veg]

I did like it Jenni. Thank you for asking. It had many of the ingredients the chunky chili had so I was able to use the leftover items in the fridge that needed to be used up while they were still fresh. I enjoyed the pieces of pineapple the most.

I tried the stew over brown rice when it was hot and fresh as it was recommended. I reheated it standing alone the second day. I enjoyed it much more after letting it sit in all its flavor and well "stew" a bit, which was also recommended.

Now it's all gobbled up and I'm thinking to try a potato and cabbage soup recipe a member posted here: http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19617. I have to make a trip to the store first for the ingredients and to restock on breakfast items such as oatmeal. I wonder where does one find nutritional yeast in your local grocery store & what is a pastry blender? These answers are coming soon to an inquiring mind.

Meanwhile, I have a fresh pot of pinto beans that soaked last night cooked up with a tomato and an onion. Did 100 crunches, thinking about stretching or putting in a yoga tape. I need motivation for cardio. Placing Van Halen's,"Hot For Teacher", into the top of my music cue.

"I got it bad. Got it bad. Got it bad."

Edited later today to add.

After storing the cooked pinto beans in separate containers for the week I made the potato and cabbage soup linked above. I took some pictures while making it.

Prep:


Water level:


A peak at half the spices in the pantry and I'm still buying spices for recipes:


I forgot to add the other two ingredients in the prep picture. The nutritional yeast and soy sauce:


Done!


It wasn't bad but I don't think that I'll be making it again for awhile. From the response I got I'm not certain I did it right. Comments ranged from "what sauce are you putting in it", after it's already done to, "there is a fish smell it must be the cabbage?"

[Veg]

Today I was looking for a pizza recipe and was going to make that when I came across this cabbage/potato/tomato casserole mentioned in the potato thread in the Lounge.

The recipe reads as follows:

"Sliced up half a large cabbage and boiled in water for ten minutes. Drain. Sauteed a sliced onion in a dry nonstick pan. Deglazed a few times with white wine. Sliced up a couple of potatoes.

Layer chopped tomatoes (canned), cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes. Sprinkle with some nutritional yeast and spices of your choice (i used garlic powder and black pepper. Finish with tomatoes on top. Cover and bake at 350. I'm thinking about 40 minutes to cook the potatoes. The baking dish is 9x13."

I sliced and boiled half a red cabbage. Sauteed the onion and deglazed with white wine. I'd never done that before and had to look it up and I think I got it right but unsure. I scalloped some potatoes and then put the layers in the dish as recommended. I wasn't sure where to put the onions so I added them on top of the cabbage. I used three cans of 14.5oz diced tomatoes undrained. Two on bottom and one on top. I also sprinkled the black pepper, nutritional yeast and garlic powder. Covered and baked in the oven for 45 minutes.

Here is how the processed looked.

Red cabbage & onion layer:


How the layers looked in the dish from the side:


Potato layer:


From the side again with potato topper:


Now the last of the tomatoes on top of that:


Finally the seasoning!


After about 50 minutes the potatoes weren't done. The top layer was done but the layer below needed additional time so it's still cooking for 20 more minutes. Whole potatoes take about an hour and a half in my gas oven. I'll let you all know how it comes out.

Also in my quest for new recipes in the Food & Recipes section I came across a thread called McDougall Recipes complied at fatfree.dom. I've tried recipes from this website before with great success so I'm happy to have an index to reference when I need to.

[jsl]

I'm impressed with the pictures...it's all I can do to cook sometimes, much less take pictures of the process! I hope the potatoes come out done and that you like it!

[janluvs2heel]

I made cabbage soup yesterday, too. I didn't use potatoes because I am hoping it lasts thru the weekend & I will just add them as I want them to each serving. Actually I am going to try yams in it, see how it tastes with a bit of sweetness to it. I used green cabbage, they only had a couple heads of red & they looked like they had been around for a while, I know it keeps a long time but sooner or later, it has to go bad.

It was really good, too. I am going to add to the soup either tonight or tomorrow, use up the last 1/2 of the cabbage, the carrots, celery, etc. That should take me thru the weekend. It is just so darn cold here & dreary. If it is not raining, we have fog. Sun never made it out today. Boo.

Jan

[sksamboots]

Looks great . Let us know how it taste.

[Veg]

I'm impressed with the pictures...it's all I can do to cook sometimes, much less take pictures of the process! I hope the potatoes come out done and that you like it!

Thank you Jenni! After an hour and a half it's done. If time permits I will take pictures because I like to but I know I won't be able to do it all the time.

Top of finished product!


I can see from the side it came out juicy.

I made cabbage soup yesterday, too. I didn't use potatoes because I am hoping it lasts thru the weekend & I will just add them as I want them to each serving. Actually I am going to try yams in it, see how it tastes with a bit of sweetness to it. I used green cabbage, they only had a couple heads of red & they looked like they had been around for a while, I know it keeps a long time but sooner or later, it has to go bad.

It was really good, too. I am going to add to the soup either tonight or tomorrow, use up the last 1/2 of the cabbage, the carrots, celery, etc. That should take me thru the weekend. It is just so darn cold here & dreary. If it is not raining, we have fog. Sun never made it out today. Boo.

Jan

It's funny you mention that cabbage keeps for awhile at the store Jan. Yesterday I sent my list with the men to the store and they went to Walmart which is not my produce section of choice. They picked a green cabbage and a red cabbage since I didn't specify.

The green cabbage had little brown spots all over it. I peeled the first two leaves off and on the bottom of the third leaf appeared to be an infestation of what looked like little clearish eggs of some sort of bug I'm sure. I peeled the third leaf off and rinsed it and peeled the forth and fifth leaf off and rinsed it again for good measure.

I probably should have tossed the whole cabbage or used it to show Walmart the quality of their not so fresh produce they sold the guys. This isn't the first time the Walmart in our area has sold shady produce. That's why I don't like to buy it there even if it is cheaper. One time I bought a red onion that was already rotten and mushy in the middle when I cut it down the middle. It was so gross and I'd never had that happen to me before. Another time I purchased peaches during the summer from them and they rot in less than two days and I was shocked because they didn't look anywhere close to that when I bought them.

However, moving along, with hungry men in the house I used half of the cabbage head in the soup. I did toss the other half in the garbage today as I looked further at it and it also did not look so fresh inside the middle. I think I will have to toss the soup as well as I got a few comments last night and no one was willing to touch it for the second day now. It doesn't look hopeful. These are men that will generally eat anything and when they won't eat it that is bad.

The sun did peak out here today but it is mostly cloudy and slightly foggy in parts like there. I will have to continue my quest for tasty food that we all can enjoy. It seems as long as I cook it they will go along and eat it. I think that is a positive sign. They really enjoyed the chunky chili and caribbean stew. I know to scratch the potato and cabbage soup from the list and possibly keep this potato/tomato/cabbage casserole for future reference. From the clickable lists on here I can see there are many more recipes I'd like to try though.

Looks great . Let us know how it taste.

Thank you sksamboots! It seems to be a smashing success tonight. I should also mention that I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes and I think it made a difference.

This is nearly the same things as the soup yesterday but instead baked with red cabbage and tomatoes. Go figure?

[sksamboots]

Looks wonderful!! Too much work for me but looks good. Glad you enjoyed it. Now just ship some my way

[Veg]

{Sigh} Thinking to myself.

Don't worry about him. That's just the way he is.

{/SIGH}

Last night we made pizza from store bought products. Whole wheat crust. Pretty good pizza sauce. Vegan cheese which was a new discovery for me and vegan pepperoni. Mostly fresh chopped veggies on top. It wasn't great. My beautiful creation stuck to the non-stick pan. On top of that the vegan cheese wasn't melting and I was concerned. Then I was told that it was because there was no fat.

The pizza tasted different. Like it needed getting used to. Also there isn't much benefit to making one myself when it cost nearly the same to buy one without cheese and all the veggies on top. We probably won't be having pizza again for all the hassle. I thought it would be different, semi-comforting, and easy but it wasn't what I thought.

If I did it again I'd like to get the recommended crust, make my own sauce, and not add vegan cheeses or vegan meats. Just fresh veggies and possibly beans. I saw more than one pizza recipe in the Quick and Easy McD book.

[jsl]

You're right - no need to worry about him. You can't change him.

I've not tried pizza at home - I don't like fake cheese and I'd rather just not have it...

You're doing great - keep it up! Don't let anyone drag you down!

[Veg]

You're right - no need to worry about him. You can't change him.

I've not tried pizza at home - I don't like fake cheese and I'd rather just not have it...

You're doing great - keep it up! Don't let anyone drag you down!

Thank you for the continued encouragment. I don't think I will be trying vegan cheese again but atleast I can say I have had it at least once. I would however like to make this fake cheese sauce recipe in the McDougall book. I'd also like to try making their salsa and keep a fresh mason jar of it in the fridge.

I'm still contemplating 30 days of potato recipes. At our local store potatoes are 78 cents for 10 lbs! I think that is the cheapest I've ever seen them and they could go a long ways. I did buy a bag I just need to collect some recipes for all the meal times. If anyone would like to contribute potato recipes I'm game. I need to fit in that bikini this summer!



While searching pictures I came across this recipe website All About Potatoes. Hmm, it does look interesting.