bunsofaluminum's journal

[kittyadventures]

HI Buns I just wanted to pop in to your journal to tell you what an inspiration you are to me. When I look at your chart I see how consistent you have been and that even when you have gone off for a bit you always have come back to things and continued on. I hope this time around I can be as successsful as you.

I am sorry to hear of your losses.
I hope you continue on your journey here and I look forward to more of your posts.

(((Hugs)))

[carollynne]

Buns, I love reading about your struggles too. Keep at it, I know I am praying for you and for all of us on the McD path to optimum health.
So I love it that we are all so human, with our ups and downs, if we were all machines, there would be no problems.

Good luck sweetie, and God Bless

[Birdy]

Buns, I've been reading back through your journal for the past month. I can identify with your emotional eating as I do the same thing. And the slippery slope. Also, I'd just like to say that I believe it's important to have a steady, daily pattern of eating that is habitual and consistent. No extremes like fasting or binging, just the steady middle. That's what I'm working on currently in my life. Big hugs for you!

[bunsofaluminum]

Thanks Kitty, Carrollynne, and Birdy

Your words of encouragement mean a lot to me.

I've been doing pretty well this past week. I got pretty sick with cellulitis that knocked me down for a weekend. However, I know that eating this way really did reduce the severity of this outbreak. Usually I'm completely wiped out for a solid week...this time, two days.

Nuts were my "munchy downfall" and I haven't touched any in days. No pistachios, no almonds (though I have them in the house), no cashews, no peanuts. I did make some fat free popcorn the other day (spritzing it with soy sauce REALLY DOES work!) but that's the only munching I've done in the past week (there were the garbanzo treats, but they are MWL) Well, anyway. The scale has gone down two lbs, which is wonderful! I feel like I'm in a balanced place. Like I'm going to be eating sanely on a day-to-day basis without the freaky pendulum swings that I've been putting myself through.

TODAY'S PLAN

B: baked potato and spinach w/creamy cauliflower dressing
L: baba ganoush and veggie stix
D: baked potato bar with creamy cauliflower dressing, steamed broccoli and hot salsa toppings
S: apple? carrots?

[carollynne]

Your baked potato bar sounds so de-lish!! I will have to try that.
I bought a mix of neat looking potatoes in a bag, red, white and purple!! all small ones. I just bit into and ate a little purple one, and funny but it doesn't taste different to me at all. but it is great. Just plain. I made up some borscht yesterday.... it was good, but not as good as my mom used to make.... but of course she did put in some leftover meat and then added sour cream to it!!
Have a good day, and keep on the plan!

[Beagle]

So glad to hear that you're feeling better, and sounding strong

The creamy cauliflower dressing for the baked potatoes sounds interesting, how do you make it ?

[bunsofaluminum]

creamy cauliflower dressing/dip/spread

I use this instead of creamy things...sour cream, salad dressing, mayo, etc

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

mustard
salt
nooch yeast

Boil the cauliflower in water and a TBSP of salt (boiling softens it quicker than steaming it) until soft.
Let it cool some, then put in a food processor with a couple TBSP of good mustard (I really like any stone ground mustard in this) and a TBSP of nooch yeast.
Process until smooth. Refrigerate until cool.

this is really good over hot baked potatoes. I've also used it in open face veggie sams (Rainbow Samwiches). It could be the base for a creamy salad dressing, too. But I like the 321 dressing enough that I've never experimented with that. It's okay as a dip, too.

Yesterday's dinner was good. I didn't want to cook, so I opened a can of black beans, drained and rinsed them. Put them in a bowl with three TBSP or so of Fresh Tomato Dressing (it's a Mary McD recipe that is tangy and spicy and sweet) and I'm planning on just that for lunch today. I also made me some crispy potato skins w/salsa. that was good

Oh. I had baba ganoush and veggie stix for lunch yesterday, and found that the baba was icky. I've made it before without tahini, and it was okay. This time, it was inedible. The texture just wasn't right. So, when I got home I made some tahini and added it. It's high fat, for sure, but I wasn't about to waste two eggplants worth of baba. I would never eat it, if there were no tahini mixed in, so I did that and now I'll be able to eat the baba ganoush. It made all the difference. The texture just was off so badly I could barely gag it down...well, I didn't gag it down. I just ate my veg stix and left the baba sit. But after I added the tahini, it is now quite good.

so, not a low fat day yesterday.

[kkrichar]

Hmmm, I wonder if that cauliflower dressing would work on potato salad. I think I'll give it a try. I'm trying to make a yummy, creamy, no-fat potato salad. I'm pretty close using Fat Free Nayonaise but I have to order it on-line because they don't sell it in my area and it's more expensive than cauliflower for sure. Thanks for the recipe!

You sound like you're doing great. I need to look up that tomato dressing too. I love summer!

[carollynne]

thanks, too, for that recipe!! I will be trying it and soon. and you just reminded me that I had some pureed up cauliflower and zucc spiced with paprika and basil.... that were leftover and added some lemon juice, then promptly forgot it last night.
I hat to waste food too, have a good day!!

[Birdy]

Hi Buns,
I'm also going to try the creamy cauliflower recipe. That sounds delicious and I love cauliflower. Glad you are over the cellulitis and feeling better!

[kittyadventures]

HI Buns... what are the amounts on the cauliflower dressing I want to try it too.

[bunsofaluminum]

I usually use a whole head of cauli, sometimes a clove or two of garlic boiled with it (better that way than raw, which is too hot)

If i add salt to the cooking water, it's two pinches of kosher. It is about a tsp, but kosher is saltier than regular table salt.

as for the mustard, i add "to taste" Not more than a couple of TBSP

It doesn't need any liquid added to it.

this would be good with just a leetle titch of curry, or horseradish! ooh! yummy!


enjoy.

[Beagle]

Thanks Buns going to give that one a go.

How's your leg doing ? Hope all is well.

[carollynne]

Thanks for the recipe. I will be trying it soon. Just made up some more cooked chickpeas and made up a fat free hummus with some red pepper cut up small. Put the rest in the freezer. DS made up a small chunks of red potatoes,and spiced up with him own famous mix of taco spices,and then to the oven bag it went.... with some garlic pressed and some diced up onion too. It was yummy, just in the oven bag like that. I just had some with a frozen corn with more of the red peppers. I loved the red potatoes like this. OH, I the in some of the chick peas that were just done too.

Have a great rest of the night, and a good Sunday too!

[bunsofaluminum]

whew.

thanks for the notes, peeps! My leg is some better. The rash is the least of it, with cellulitis. It is similar to pneumonia, in that it takes you DOWN and it's a long recovery.

that aside, a friend from church had a heart attack on Friday late at night (11 pm) I was just brushing my teeth...which is VERY late for me, but clearly God knew the timing...when her daughter texted me. I run the prayer chain at my church and my chief ministry is prayer, so I sent the request out, and then spent an hour lifting my friend to the Lord.

prayed off and on for her all day yesterday. Went to bed after a drowsy "not enough sleep" day. Got a text message at 3:00 am...she was having another heart attack, this time more severe. So I spent an hour up and praying for her and let the pastor and a few praying people know...hoping they'd be up, eh? And drifted to sleep still praying for her.

so. whether the cellulitis or some missed sleep, I have a feeling today is going to feel pretty tired.

Eating has been good, though I did polish off some raw almonds yesterday. My income has gone down by a sizeable chunk with my boy graduating...his child support is no more...so I've been looking for cheap or free food and finding it

Today's Plan:

B: hashbrowns, spinach and arugula salad
L: hummus over spinach and arugula salad w/mango peach salsa and some rice...oh, BABY that's a good meal. I had some yesterday. DEEEELISH!
D: baked potato? and steamed broccoli w/spinach and arugula salad.

I got a six-box case of spinach and ten lbs of cucumbers for free; the arugula was .50c a bag at the discount store. I'm going back there for more.

My first food this morning shall be communion, though. After this weekend of prayer battle, I need nourishment. amen.

Have a blessed Lord's Day, all! Oh! It's Pentecost! yay! Red is a good color on me. and I have a red shirt that is quite flattering.