fun, fun...

Halloween feast night was fun.  Everyone came with huge appetites and ended up eating all the spaghetti.  That crock pot spaghetti sauce is one of the best recipes I have run across; I actually found it years ago in a Taste of Home magazine.  The cutest thing was when little guy was swinging a noodle in front of his face just staring at it, and then shoved it in his mouth fast as he could!

Now I feel like I need to get back on the diet: the weight is attaching itself to me again like thick dense clay on a shovel.  That is when it takes a lot of spraying with the hose, or, in my case, lots of walking and diet discipline.  I know, I'm a lot of talk, but if I don't continue to berate myself for naughty days, I won't feel like I am making any progress.  Hee! Hee!

Can't believe it...

I went ahead and stepped on the scale out of some perverse curiosity, and was pleasantly surprised that I have been maintaining 191 pounds.  Must be all the walks I have been taking, because it sure isn't my eating regiment.  Of course,  I would really like to drop some more weight off, but one thing at a time.

This weekend I am making a Halloween feast:  Crock pot spaghetti sauce, garlic bread, a salad with pastrami and black olives, and Halloween poke cake(this is a marble cake that has orange jello poured over it, and topped with chocolate frosting and candy pumpkins. Yummmm!)  Diet food?  Nahhhh!  But, it will be delicious. What do you think makes the fat lady fat anyway!  Ha! Ha!

mmmmm...

Made a yummy winter vegetable soup today. It had sweet potato, rutabaga, and cabbage along with all the other usual soup fixings.  It went really well with the leftover Irish brown bread.

I would have to say that, besides the cookie I had, along with my sensible breakfast, I have been doing fairly well in the dieting world today. Still won't step on the scale though. Na! Aa! Won't deliver that pain to my psyche today.

Thinking of making some whole wheat bread. I haven't done that in awhile and the thought of getting my hands into some dough sounds good about right now.  Just as soon I buy yeast that is...

dieting...

Yeah.  Someday I will get back to that.

review...

I thought I'd give a review on the vegetarian pub dinner party. I'd have to say that the ploughman's platter was the hit of the night: the bread was actually really good, especially slathered in butter; the pickles went great with beer; I ended up buying an Amish blue cheese that was fabulous with the granny smith apple; the other cheese I purchased was Dubliner(Irish cheese with stout) which was very smooth and creamy for a seeming hard-looking cheese.  And, then when everyone thought that was enough already, I brought out the English chips(potato nuggets) that roasted perfectly in the oven. They were fabulous with the malt vinegar dipping sauce.  The recipe called for the potatoes to be soaked in cold water for a half hour, and then patted very dry before roasting--they turned out perfectly with this technique.

I think we could have called it quits there, because, in my opinion, the lager stew that followed was lacking any really rich flavor. It just tasted like vegetable floating in tomato sauce to me.  The pasties weren't that great either with the crust being kind of tough, and silly me forgetting to put the gruyere cheese in them; but instead, putting it on top.

The beer was good. Hubby went out and bought a variety pack--gotta love that option.

And, don't forget, a wonderful chocolate cake, made by daughter, with coffee flavored butter frosting. Delicious!

Overall, a good time.

black frosting...

Black frosting is the coolest thing for a grandma to watch a baby eat.  Last night I bought a Frankenstein head cake from the store for dessert.  It had a green face and black hair.  When we gave it to little guy he squished it between his little fingers and then shook his little hands which brought squeals of delight from his grandma.  Afterwards, we all had black stained lips and tongues, and baby had stained fingers as well which prompted a quick bath that was enjoyed very much by all.  Gotta love Halloween!

Ok...

Positive thinking today.  The sun is shining,  had a bowl of Uncle Sam Cereal(South Beach Approved) with berries, and I am going for a walk.

Happy Birthday to hubby and daughter.

Tonight is the big vegetarian pub grub feast: should be interesting.  My daughter and I tried the pickles last night. They really pack a spicy punch!  Should go well with strong cheese, dense bread, and beer, of course.  I just hope heartburn and gut drop aren't on the menu afterwards. Hee! Hee!

won't do it...

I am not going to step on the scale for awhile; besides, I can feel the weight gain in how my clothes have been fitting lately--not good.
Invited daughter and grandbaby over for supper tonight: chicken tetrezini is is on the menu.  I am using whole wheat pasta--that is as far as the healthy part of this dish goes.   But, I am including broccoli which is, of course, good for you.
I have been continuing my walks, because I so enjoy the brisk fresh air and all the fall decorations in front of people's houses. I usually meet a dog or 2 on these walks.  They will run up to me, sniff my hand, and take a pet before bounding off because their master is calling them. Then I get the apology for the unleashed dog, and I always say, " That's Ok, I meet a lot of dogs on my walks."  The funny thing is I don't even like dogs; although, I don't seem to mind them on my walks. Weird.

hm!

That felt good! Think I will keep posting, good or bad. Wasn't that my initial idea anyway?

Well, well...

The fat lady has been in a bit of a quandary as of late.  My diet has gone to the birds, and that doesn't mean the kind you eat, but the lack of any real interest in it.  All my initial excitement is gone for the moment, because quitting a job after working for so long has left me kind of in a strange place--lost I guess you could say, so thinking of healthy eating is the last thing on my mind; although, I do continue to half-hearted try to make attempts at it.  Today I made a nice omelet with spinach, peppers, and mushrooms, and for lunch a fish dish with lots of nice fresh veggies. After that the whole dieting resolve went away with brandy old fashioneds, sushi, leftover chicken dinner(with potatoes, of course), pretzels, nuts, chocolate, and ice cream bars. Was that a long enough list?
It has only been a week and a half: everyone tells me to just take some time to myself to regroup: good advice, but I always have this nagging feeling that I need to get back to work soon or I will go insane.  Is it years of work brainwashing or self preservation?  A little of both I suppose.  Oh, well.
In the meantime, I am making vegetarian pub food for the hubby this weekend for his birthday dinner. This dinner will include homemade pickles that I made today, Irish brown bread that I am going to make,  Irish cheeses, and tart apples as the first course, followed directly by homemade English chips(or potato nuggets by american standards) with a malt vinegar dipping sauce.  The main course will be Cornish pasties with gruyere cheese(YUMM) and a nice Irish lager stew.  For dessert my daughter is bringing a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  She and her husband are going to be brave enough to try my latest experimentation.
That should keep me out of trouble for awhile, because the one thing the fat lady enjoys just as much as eating is planning and preparing the next meal to eat! Hee! Hee!

October!!!

It is the first day of my favorite month of the year.  The earthy scents, the leaves flying in the wind, the brilliant hues of the mums contrasting last seasons spent flowers, and the nice cool temperatures setting in after the heat and humidity of summer is always so refreshing.

The only problem is that fall also makes me think of baking rich delicious desserts loaded with apples, pumpkin, lots of sugar, and refined white flour!  Although there are South Beach desserts available, they pale in comparison.  Oh well! The fat lady didn't get fat by eating celery sticks now did she?  The love of food can be such a distraction, and what more can you do but eat it!  Ha! So, I will find a delicious dessert to make, and I will indulge in said dessert, and then I will pay the price on the scale. That is if I am brave enough to step on it.  And, then...  Well?  The fat lady will figure that out later. Hee! Hee!