Mary's Mini with beans

[kittyadventures]

No I am in California. IF you find Monterey bay on the map right in the middle of the california coast and move directly 35 miles east of it you will see Hollister LOL we are close enough to the ocean to have it affect our weather...
I know what you mean about cabbage only mine is spinach for some reason I can not grow it very well oh it comes up but scrawny and sad looking.

I think something to do with my soil and the climate. and I have trouble with tomatoes too. same issue as you we are just too cool... now the ones I can grow are the tiny ones and those little ace tomatoes which are okay but like you said not the same as the ones you can grow where it is HOT. Better boys do good when we have a warmer summer and early girls do really well too but they also need a warmer summer.
you may want to try to see if you can find a san fransisco fog tomato they do really well and have a nice flavor they are about the same size as the ace.


You may want to read this article about cool weather tomatoes
http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-03-17/home-and-garden/17237525_1_tomatoes-steve-goto-fruit-rot
IT suggests these ones.


Legend, Siletz, and Oregon Spring. I think I am going to have to try to run down some of these seeds for next summer.

I love that you have a flower garden all around your house.

We are too dry so the flowers that need more moisture are close to the house.. My big garden is full of drought tollerant and gopher proof plants. Any thing the little bugers like to eat has to be in flower pots so all my dahlias are in pots Which is funny since I have such a huge garden, My daisies are planted over the septic tank becuase they won't dig there.

And my vegetable beds are raised with wire on the bottoms to keep them out, I do still get the occaional vole . they climb up the sides and go in .but they are not bad like the gophers, THey don't eat the plants.
My weeds are marrow and some kind of plantain thing that drives me crazy and of course various and assorted field grasses. and those stupid star thistles that are a pain. I would love to have buttercup issues LOL I suppose though if they were crowding everything else out I would not be so happy about that.

How nice of your neighbors to let you plant a veggie garden there.

My chickens are free range and roam all over the back yard eating bugs.. They are awesome. They do make lovely eggs and I give them away too, the ones hubby doesn't eat anyway. I feed mine scratch and of course what ever bugs and plants they eat and the occasional left over bread. We avoid the pellets. Mine also eat lots of the bird seed that falls on the ground under the bird feeders.

Right now I have 3 rhody reds, one aracana, and one sex link (she is my oldest and I have had her for 13 years). I love Buff orphingtons too.. another nice one is astrolorphs. and of course the black bared/ plymouths. DO not ever get a cuban blue. they are vicious. And the sex links are none too nice.

[simoncat]

Hi, KA. I didn't know you had gopher problems where you are. We have the deer as problems here, but I still like them.

As far as chickens go, wow, 13 years. I had one Cochin Banty for 11 years. I think that they are my favorite type of chicken (for personality). I had one rooster which I named, "The Colonel", after the Kentucky Fried Chicken founder. He was an all white rooster and had a dignified air about him; he was a little funny too. I also had one named Nettie who was a white hen and laid really small eggs. I miss them but don't really have time now for more chickens. I know what you mean about some varieties being aggressive. I've seen some roosters that were. I had one Rhode Island Red rooster that was mean, but he got into a tussle with my neighbors dog and it completely changed his personality; he became really nice and gentle. I guess he got a little of his own medicine, so to speak.

Thanks for the tomato recommendations; I'll look into that and see if I can find a spot for one.

Well, I have the day off today and have been house cleaning; does that count for exercise? I should get 20 points for vacuuming my whole house. Is that okay? Lol.

Anyway, the scale is being mean today and going to 152; so I better shape up. I guess that what I did on Sunday caught up with me. I'll try to do better now, as I am not going out for dinner or anything. Today's Menu:

Bfast: potato with cooked apple & Cinnamon
Lunch: yam with asparagus & broccoli
Snack: apple
Dinner: Not sure Potato of some sort with salad (at this point it might be whatever I can find in my fridge - need to go shopping)

Hope you are doing well.

[chewy]

how is your mary's mini with beans going?do you feel fuller/more satiated with beans over other starchy vegetables and grains?it is a great version of mary's mini using beans!

[kittyadventures]

Hi Chewy.

for me the beans thing is working really well.

The potatoes though I love them just melt away in an hour and I find I am eating again, I know this is due to my insulin resistance.. also I have trouble losing weight eating the potatoes... again this is not against the McDougall diet I love it... but because of my own issues of combined Menopaus and pre diabetus... I think once my weight drops enough this may change.
The beans fill me up on a lot less starch and last a good 3 to 4 hours before I need to eat again. Also I feel light and I have more energy than when I am eating all the potatoes... I suspect this is something to do with the insulin thing... What I am enjoying is that my profile is thinner and my pants are fitting so much better already... I am the classic Apple shape and carry all my weight in my tummy... so getting pants to fit right is difficult.

I find that to be satisfying you need to eat at least 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of beans and then what ever else you are having, at least for a woman.
I like that I am not having the blood sugar plunge thing going on while I eat them (you know you get really hungry and feel real weak.)

I am still having a few potatoes because they are so quick to cook and eat and easy to carry with you...
Today my weight is hovering betweeen 173 and 172. I am hoping to see it do the drop down tomorrow.

Todays Menu
Apple and grapes with 1/3 c of white beans

Lunch is the black beans with mixed veggies and a garden salad

Dinner will be the regular chili with a salad.

Dessert will be either some of my home canned peaches or home canned applesauce.



Exercise yesterday: I swam laps for an hour. I love swimming IT is a great core exercise and burns those calories anywhere form 500 to 750 per hour of swimming laps depending on how I push myself.


Today i am going to my first Zoomba class at the gym... I am a walking Klutz on teh dance floor so wish me luck.

[kittyadventures]

Hi Simoncat you are doing great and house cleaning deffinately counts as exercise... so much so that when I had my cleaning business and ate SAD including fast food for lunch every day I never had a weight issue. IT deffinatley burns those calories.

The big white Rooster .. We had one of those he was a rock x(rock cross) and he was the sweetest rooster we ever had.

Currently our rooster is a black barred(Plymouth) and he is a meany because we got him from some one else and he was already grown and was never handled... you have to handle them a lot when they are baby chicks.. at least that is my experience.

Deers are major trouble for gardens... glad they are not an issue for us.

[kittyadventures]

Spanish Black Beans Recipe (Makes 11 one cup servings)

Ingredients
1 pound pkg Black beans
6 cups of water
2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1 TBS chopped garlick
1 TBS chili powder( If you do not want spicy beans Omit this)

2 cups of corn
2 cups Chopped sweet pepper
2 cups Chopped yellow onion
2 14.5 -15 oz can diced tomatoes

Instructions:

Rinse beans thoroughly even if it says they were prewashed.

To make beans less gassy
either soak over night or bring to a boil remove from heat cover and leave setting for 2 hours.
drain and rinse in colander till water runs clear

in your pressure cooker add the beans and 6 cups of water, seasonings and garlick. Cook per prescribed times for your pressure cooker and altitude. Each one will have it's own times, you start counting time per when the pressure releif valve starts to jiggle. usually times are anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

If you are not using a pressure cooker double the spices and cook the beans for at least 2 hours till soft.

I chopped all my veggies while the beans cooked. i never leave my kitchen when the pressure cooker is going. In case I need to lower the heat.

once the beans are cooked add your tomatoes, Corn, Peppers and Onions to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 more minutes or until the sauce has thickened and onions are transparent.

This has a rich meaty flavor and looks really pretty with all the colors.
It is great over potatoes or mixed with your salad or throwmn over noodles or even over a bowl of steamed vegetables.

[simoncat]

Hi, KA. Wow, you are really doing great! I have to admit, today when I got up, I couldn't look at a potato. (I hope I don't offend anyone here!) I just wanted oatmeal & a banana. However, I did have a potato for lunch & dinner. Here was today's menu:

B-fast: oatmeal/banana
Lunch: potato & snap
Dinner: sweet potato/broccoli/onions/garlic/frzn peas w/ tomato sauce & oregano

Exercise: none today, did something to my shin so am giving myself a break.

It's hard for me to read your black bean recipe without wishing I could have some now. Next time I'll do what you did and do the "Bean-Mini".

My weight is still at 152. I'll be patient.

Yes, I agree with you about chickens. If they are not handled when they are young, they are skittish. I have one named, "Ginger" who squats down if you lean over her, because she wants you to pick her up!! She's got a lot of character and will follow me all over the yard to see what I am doing.

When you talk about your insulin, I understand. My Dad had type 2 and although my numbers were not high enough, I have often suspected I have it because of the way my body reacts to sugar (makes me really, really tired).

Anyway, keep on doing what you are doing. When is our 10 days officially up, so I can eat beans??? Ha! Ha!

[simoncat]

Hi, again. I thought I'd post early today, as I hope to take a long walk with my hubby tonight. We'll see how this goes,, as my shin still feels a little funny.

Anyway, after not being able to look a "potato in the eye" yesterday for breakfast, I had 2 for breakfast today. I am going to try to see if I can make it without snacking in between meals today that is why I had 2 potatoes instead of 1.

Well, I weighed myself this morning and I am 151.5. I don't think I am going to be bad like I was Sunday again (I am paying for it).

Menu:

B-fast: 2 potatoes with ketchup
Lunch: sweet potatoes Italian style
Dinner: Onions, Potatoes, garlic, nutritional yeast and whatever frozen veggies I can find (corn & peas) & home grown kale (mine is small yet, but I'll pick a few leaves)

K.A. hope you are having nice weather. I think someone else is getting out sunshine.

[simoncat]

Hi, again, KA. I just wanted to say I am impressed that you swim for an hour. Wow. You must have really strong arms. I have never been good at the crawl, but wish I was.

I also wanted to say that I just read your introduction in your journal. It must have been hard for you to watch your mom go through that. My mom had a heart attack in her early 60's. She was lucky and had a triple bypass and she is still alive today. However, I remember seeing her after her bypass; she looked as white as a ghost and I almost didn't recognize her. Just like you, I didn't want to go through what my mom did. I also agree with you that diabetes is related/or causes heart disease.

[kittyadventures]

HI Simoncat,

Sorry I wasn't on yesterday.

Sooo Mary's Mini is a ten day Challenge.. so you could stop at any time after yesterday.

I personally am going to carry on till the 15th ... My weight is hovering in the 172 -173 range... so I am going to see if I continue on for a few more days if I will get it down at least to 170... I am going to do a little divergence this weekend though, because I got a Yuca root at the grocery store a few days ago and I want to try it out. and I had some gluten free pancakes last night for dinner... I Love pancakes and hubby wanted some for dinner and well there you go.. I am a wuss sometimes.

Anyway so Saturday I will be off Marys Mini or at least somewhat off.. but back on it for sunday on through at least Wednesday maybe till Friday.

As to my mother, I think the one thing I regret, is I didn't figure out the whole vegetarian thing and help her some how. it sucks in the worst way knowing that there were things I might have been able to do to make her life a bit easier. Spend all the time you can with your MOM whether it is pyhysically with her or on the phone. IT is hard when your Mom isn't there anymore.

I know lots of people are all about the longevity on here and trying to live to 100, but for me, I don't care if I live to 60 or 70 or 80, what I care about is that I can get around easily on my own power, and can see and feel good and do what I want to do until the day I die.. Once you see how hard it is for some one to get around because of the foods we eat you really never get over it.

So yesterday I had:

Breakfast: plain beans and a banana
Lunch: was beans and mixed vegetables and an apple
Dinner: was pancakes.

and exercise was a solid hour of swimming. Swimming is one of those things that are great exercise and you just stop when you are out of breath and wait for a minute then start up again.

I did much better yesterday in the pool my stamina is building nicely... THere is a thing they call muscle memory and I do really believe in it especially as I usually get myself going well with the swimming then can't for several months in the winter and then start up again in the spring.

As to the Zumba OMG I am such a klutz
anyway I survived it on Wednesday but it bothered my knee so I didn't try it again last night, soto let my muscle could rest a bit.. I will be hiting it again on Saturday morning. with a bit more caution... I need to not stand with my feet more than shoulder length apart for a bit.

Todays menu

Breakfast: Plain beans and an apple.
Lunch: vegetable chili with mixed vegetables and a banana
Dinner: Black bean chili, a large garden salad.


SimonCat keep going you are doing really well. and moderate exercise really wins the day... whether it is walking , swimming, gardening, bikeriding, or just plain cleaning the house. Just have fun.... that to me is the best thing anyone can do... remember we were designed to walk... did you know that a human can walk for hours on end at about 3 miles an hour with no problems at all?
A good walk is probably one of the best things anyone can do for their self.

[simoncat]

Yeah!! I don't have to have potatoes!!! Hooray!! I don't want to have potatoes at every meal. Today, when I woke up, I was craving
oatmeal and I thought to myself, I just can't have a potato. I have the day off today; so, I went for a 3 mile run and have been weeding. My weight has not changed 151.5 . I won't complain because for me it's always been slow to lose and fast to gain.

As far as your mother goes, I know what you mean. My poor dad died of cancer and my sister and I now believe it was because he was eating aspartame (Equal). We didn't realize it then, but when he started putting on his cereal and in his coffee, he started developing mucus problems. Later, after he died, I was reading that aspartame turns into formaldehyde after you eat it. I asked my sister when dad started developing his problems and she said, "yes, it was shortly after he started using it". Now, I've read up on it and can't believe our government lets a product like that be used or sold. I wish I'd known.

Zumba sounds fun. I am a klutz too though. I'd probably get kicked out.

As far as this diet goes, I try my best and as I know I am not perfect, don't punish myself too much if I am bad. I just think I'm doing pretty good because I am not eating pizza or snickers bars, or a lot of other things. I have wondered if it's okay to have some sugar in herbal tea. I feel like I should be able to, as a celiac, we are deprived of other treats. Anyway, my scalp is not burning, which is great!!!!

I think I am going to do the Dr. M. diet that says make your plate 2/3 green and yellow and 1/3 starch-based. I am craving greens right now and my garden is just starting to have some lettuce and kale. Most of the time I'll probably use beans. Is it okay if I stay here? I'll cheer you on and at this rate, you may pass me.

I don't want to live to be a 100 either and I am not so sure about 90. It would depend if I had any friends left. I already talk to my cats and animals enough. Lol Like you, I just want to be able to get around, maybe hit some people with my cane so they'll get out of the way and go about my business. LOL I really don't want to go to an old folk's home though; I would become rebellious!!

Today's Menu

Bfast: Oatmeal w/ brown sugar & flaxseed
Lunch; Green salad with all sorts of herbs, kale, lettuce, part of an apple
Dinner: Sweet potato snap (leftovers)

Tomorrow I'll start the 2/3 green and 1/3 starch.

Have a good one. Zumba, Zumba!!

[kittyadventures]

LOL Simoncat ... I hope you enjoyed your freedom from potatoes.. and well done. Also any support you give is more than greatly appreciated.

LOL at being kicked out of an exercise class... that only happens if you act really inappropriatly.

So my off of the mary's mini but not really off it will be llike this


I am having oatmeal with raisens and a splash of almond milk for breakfast.

Then off to my second Zumba Class.

Then I am attending a baby shower from 11 AM to 1 pm right through the lunch hour and since I have gluten issues I will be eating before I get there. IT has to be heavily starched because I need to be fortified against all the sweets and so that I don't eat anything I shouldn't, so before I go, I will be having a bowl of beans over a potato. That way I will be okay just eating the salad and what ever fresh fruit they have. And I can hopefully escape unscathed.

Dinner of course is to be the Yuca/casava root and i haven't decided whick recipe I will be having with it. Italian Green beans and a salad and possibly some beets.

THere will be weeding in the garden at some point today.

[Chile]

Interesting conversations ya'll have been having here! Since you both garden, you may be interested in jumping over into the Gardening forum at some point (scroll way down the list of forums on the main page).

Re helping parents, I was just talking to my DH about that yesterday. Had I known then what I know now, I might have moved in with my mom when she got lung cancer (not a smoker) and fed her good healing foods. As it is, I lost her a month before I married my DH (over 20 years ago).

I did know more by the time my dad got sick and tried hard to educate him. However, his new wife fed him horrible high-fat Midwestern foods, which had a direct impact on his health. (Cooking for himself = PSA levels went down. Started eating more with her = PSA levels skyrocketed.) Her son was a heart surgeon and totally debunked all the information I gave them from Dr. McDougall. Not surpringly, I lost him shortly thereafter.

Over the past 10 years, I have worked really hard to convince my MIL to McDougall. Cooked for her, made her a big recipe book of my favorite recipes so she could make them also including a lot of very easy recipes, given her the McDougall cookbook, and even given her food. She won't follow it and now, no surprise, is suffering from osteoporosis and arthiritis, as well as lots of lung problems from a lifetime of smoking (until she finally quit when she retired). It's so sad to see her decline and here her say she wishes she wasn't in such pain, when she could reduce the level of her pain if she'd just eat the right foods.

[kittyadventures]

HI Chili Thanks for visiting the thread and sharing about your family. I have found lately that I don't share my diet unless some one asks. I am sometimes pained when I don't share because I wish everyone could have some little bit of pain relief or reduction in the amount of drugs they have to take. Unfortunately that old adage you can bring a horse to water but you can not make him drink is soo very very true.
And people seem determined to take their pills rather than improve their diet. So I only share now if they ask. Mostly they don't believe it will work for them and I am just focused on being a good example when I can.

I find it the most frustrating to see my friends and family suffer.


So last night I ended up not having the yuca root because I ended up not eating before I went to the baby shower, timing being an issue but I did great, just had the salad with luckily a gluten free raspberry vinagrette that I drizled just a tiny bit on. and some fresh fruit.
So when I got out around 1 pm I went and got hubby a beef burrito and me two bean tacos. (Not from Taco bell but a fresh home made mexican local joint we have here) They were yummy but then I was too full to eat dinner and just had a potato and an apple much later on.
So all in all yesterday went pretty good.

[kittyadventures]

And todays food looks to be

Breakfast
Mixed vegetables and potatoes obrien

Lunch: Garden Salad with beans

Dinner: Yuca root (Made like mashed potatoes (recipe to follow)
Black chili beans and a salad with fruit. (Ingredients to follow depending on what is available in the grocery)


Todays exercise will focus mainly on gardening... I am making a huge effort to finish up the garden and get the veggie garden in finally, or at least get some of the boxes planted. I will be roto tiling it out if need be, and this may be spilling over into the rest of the week as I want to get some flowers in the ground too and into some of my pots and set out to make every thing look beautiful.

I hope you all have a great day today.