Lullaby and Goodnight!

I read in USA Today that on average, tired people eat more.  Around 300 calories more.  This, from a study--likely a very expensive study--conducted by a team of experts who I guess were curious?  (You know it’s abuse to point out a problem without offering a solution, right?)

Could’ve saved them a whole lot of studying.  Think about the last time you were tired.  Or is it right now?  Can you think about fixing yourself a nutritious, healthy, nurturing meal?  

If you can, do you know that you have all the ingredients and won’t have to stop at Kroger on the way home?  

If you have all the ingredients, will you get home in time to cook, eat and clean up before it’s past your bedtime, which if you don’t meet will layer tomorrow’s tired onto today’s?

Only 2 ways around this, friends:

One is to get more sleep.  

Wow, brilliant, right? Yes.  Schedule it and with your red sharpie, circle it and star it and exclamation point it.

The other is to plan for tired.  That means you sit down and plan the week's menu and subsequent grocery list, all created at a time when you AREN’T draggin’ a**.  

It’s Friday night, and for all my good intentions, I couldn’t face the kitchen and the firey fish tacos tonight.  Guess what we ordered in?

Is It Worth It?

There are two kinds of people in this world.  Those that love it, and those that gag at the very mention of it.

Mayonnaise.

Which group are you in?

The reason I’m blogging about this is because today I had a wonderful lunch with the most delightful ladies, and we started talking about things we craved when we were pregnant.  One craved ice cream with her first, and baby dills with her second.  Another craved milk....2 gallons a day of whole milk a day, no less!  But the one that got me was the charming lady who told me that she wanted mayonnaise on EVERYTHING.  You name it, she wanted mayo on it.

Which make me shake my head a little, like this.  Because I’ve always held the belief that mayonnaise is good for one thing only, and that’s to hold stuff together.  Salads like tuna or chicken or dips like AJ’s sun-dried tomato mouthful of heaven.  So I have always bought fat free mayonnaise because I figure I’m mixing it into something that already tastes good.  When I need something spread-like for my sandwiches, I’m a mustard gal, the funkier the better.

Now who out there did I just lose?

Talk about your no-brainers for me.  What little taste I may have to give up is MORE than compensated by the SLAM DUNK WIN in the “saving unnecessary junk” game.  Have you looked at the nutrition facts for mayonnaise lately?  Go educate yourself.  I’m going to put this in perspective for you.... 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise has the same amount of fat grams as a whole 1/4 CUP of feta cheese.  (And that’s REAL feta cheese, not the reduced fat variety, which is pretty tasty, by the way.)  The day I choose mayo over feta cheese....well....come get me because clearly I’ve lost my mind.

You know where this is going, don’t you?  What I’m trying to do is light the fire in you to decide what’s worth it and what isn’t.  And to spark in you a curiosity to figure out just how much mayonnaise you spoon into your chicken salad or cole slaw...I would bet you it’s more than 2 T. (Ummm...that’s a whole HALF CUP of feta...just sayin’...)  These are things, once you know, you can never un-know.  And that’s a good thing.

So try this:  get you a jar of fat free mayonnaise and a jar of reduced fat.  (I’m assuming you already have the full lead kind in your fridge.  Experiment a little.  Figure out what’s best for your taste buds vs your health and keep a little tally sheet with two columns:  “this isn’t so bad” in one (these would be the surprises that you had when you used fat free or reduced fat mayo and couldn’t taste the difference) and then the other column, titled, “not worth eating without the real deal.” 

If you happen to live with a houseful of whiners and closed minded eaters, then either be slippery and figure out how to feed them your batch without their suspecting a thing, or make 2 batches of stuff.  I’ve done it; it’s not the end of the world. 

To LC--2 GALLONS?  Really???  That’s one for the “believe it or not” chapter!

Have You Wondered About This Too?

Let’s talk about allergies.  Can you BELIEVE how bad they are right now?  From Boston to Atlanta, from California to Texas, everyone I know is S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G right now with headaches, earaches, breathing struggles, sore throats and everything puny in between.  This, as you know, is a reaction to Mother Nature doing her thang.  And there’s not much to do but just wait it out and keep saline spray for your nose very close to your ibuprofin bottle!

But that brings me to another topic, related to food, naturally.  I’m sorta fascinated by this new phase of food phobia around gluten.  “Gluten free” are the new buzz words for guaranteed commercial success.  I tweet now (do you?  It’s such fun...follow me at alicia_haley and I’ll follow you back!) and one of the gals I follow, recipegirl was talking about a conference she’s going to in May.  Nosy rosy here googled the conference details, and the top billing for the whole dang thing was “Gluten Free Weekend.”  Huh?

Now you may know this already, but let me give me just a little background about what gluten is.

Gluten is a mixture of plant proteins found in cereal grains such as corn and wheat, and that gives dough its cohesiveness. Sensitivity to gluten can cause damage to the intestines.

I have worked with people who have a severe gluten intolerance, and believe me, my heart goes out to these celiacs.  (I apologize for the label, friends.)  I am very, very respectful of the special dietary needs these folks require, and am thankful therefore for the new “gluten free” craze sweeping the country.

But for the regular ole Joe (as opposed to my sweet Joe) who is going gluten free, I ask you, “Why?”  “What is your motivation?”  These are things I do not know.  And I want to.  

See.  My approach to food is simple.  I have to live in this world.  I have to feed myself 3 times a day, and my goal is to not feel like the ultimate food freak while doing it.  (I admit, compared to most, I’m pretty freakish already what with my no meat and no nut status!)  The moment you tell most people they CAN’T eat something, that something takes on a life of its own and oozes into the prohibited obsession category.  Ummm, like Pavlov’s dog, you say peanut butter and I start drooling.  I’m very bitter about this sad state of affairs....

I’ve said this before but no one has any power over you.  You make all the decisions, and thus, live with all the consequences.  If you can only decide what your goals are, then the rest is easy.  These goals might be to stop with the sugar junk, or to put down the cokes.  Or maybe your goal is to save money and eat better by reducing the number of times you go out to eat each week by half. 

It’s time to introduce one of my favorite words.  MODERATION.  Means no deprivation, yet no gluttony.  It’s such a simple concept, but is such a difficult thing to really own. Do you remember that old school Lay’s potato chip commercial that taunted us?  “Betcha can’t eat just one?”  Uh huh.  Mr. Lay’s was brilliant.  They played on this very topic of our inability to moderate ourselves.  One potato chip is nothing.  It’s a blip on the screen of your calorie and fat counters.  But the whole bag?  Another story altogether.  Same with a bite of cinnabon or 2 or 3 Dodie’s fries..  Likewise, 6 Hershey’s kisses or 2 cups of coffee would certainly never be considered excessive.  

The trick is, can you practice moderation around these things?  If not, don’t put your hand on the red hot burner.  It will burn you every single time.

Now I’m going to leave you pondering gluten and deprivation.  Moderation vs gluttony.  

But I have to share this with you.  This has nothing to do with anything other than I’ve “discovered” the best tasting apple in the whole wide world.  (Actually Joe brought them home from CM for me as a sussy because I love apples and he’s the nicest man in the world...)

Honey Crisp.  (Quite possibly just one word.)  Oh my.  Oh my!  Go find you one.  You’re welcome.

A Peek Into My Kitchen This Week!

It’s Sunday around here, and that means menu planning and grocery store duty.  For meals this week, here is the lineup...

Sunday:  Haley’s Special:  brown hamburger (or ground turkey) in an oven proof skillet with onion and garlic.  Drain.  Stir in a package of taco or chili mix and water and cook for 10 minutes.  Add some drained pintos if you like beans.  Take off the stove and add a layer of low fat shredded cheddar cheese, then top with a package of cornbread mix.  (I use Jiffy’s.)  Plop some jalapenos on the top if you like hot.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  This is a bean and cornbread night for me.  Yummmm.

Monday:  Cajun pasta with crawfish, found here http://tworecipes.blogspot.com/2011/03/spicy-cajun-pasta.html   With a green salad.  Sounds divine, and rich, no?  I am not going to trick this recipe up one bit the first time I try it.  

Tuesday:  Steaks and baked potatoes.  This is a baked potato with low fat cottage cheese night for me.  Have you tried that?  Oh my....  I think some roasted cauliflower would go nicely.

Wednesday, aka American Idol night #1:  Vegetable frittata with leftover chopped up potato from Tuesday and bacon for the carnivores.  You know how to do a frittata, right?  If not, read here: http://tworecipes.blogspot.com/2011/03/leftovers-frittata.html 

Thursday, aka AI Results night:  Crock Pot (CP) chicken stroganoff found here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Stroganoff/Detail.aspx served over rice with a spinach salad made with mandarin oranges and red onion.

Friday:  Fiery fish tacos and corn salsa found here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fiery-Fish-Tacos-with-Crunchy-Corn-Salsa/Detail.aspx and some crunchy cowboy slaw.

Saturday:  out on the town with my cute date!

What’s on YOUR PLATE this week?

Welcome to My Zoo!

I have a plethora of dogs in my life right now.  First there’s Dixie, who is the best hostess ever, welcoming other guest dogs with grace and love.  Then there’s Missy, my parent’s miniature Schnauzer.  Missy is old as dirt, profoundly deaf, and can’t see in the dark.  (She’ll just stand rock still until someone shines some light.)  Finally, Stratton’s dog Abby is spending her Spring Break at Mo’s.  (That’s me.)  Abby is a blue heeler who looks a LOT like a wolf with big ears and large teeth.  But she is the sweetest wolf-looking dog you ever met, and is the most active 3 year old dog in the world.

Now that you know the cast, I’m going to talk about hunger.  

Dixie is the very definition of a compulsive eater.  Once she gets the smell or taste of food in her mouth, she is frantic.  She’ll eat all the dry food, she’ll lick clean Rudy’s bowl (Rudy’s the large cat who deserves his own blog,) she’ll beg without shame for scraps from the kitchen while I”m cooking, then follow us to the table to beg for more, she’ll bug the dog out of me for a treat.  This dog has NO idea how to gauge hunger.  Period.

Then there’s Missy.  She only eats a few bites at a time, and never in front of the other dogs.  She’ll take her mouthful of food into dad’s bedroom and chew.  Then she’ll come out for another bite and go away to eat it.  I can only assume she does this gnoshing all day long, because she is plenty sturdy.  

And finally, there’s my Abby girl, who plays and runs and barks and chases and jumps ALL DAY LONG.  There’s no telling how many calories that dog burns, but she clearly doesn’t feel hunger.  She has to be called in for breakfast, but as soon as she’s eaten, she tears outside to bite that darn tree limb.  

Let’s talk about hunger.  Hunger shows up in people differently.  My adorable blogging daughter (www.tworecipes.blogspot.com) takes after her mama.  If we wait too long we get nauseated.  I don’t get the hunger pains first...I just get sick to my stomach.  Others get headache-y.  I have a friend who gets shaky but doesn’t know what a growling stomach feels like.  Another gets grumpier than all get out.   

My question to you is this:  how does hunger manifest in you?  Maybe I should start with another one....when was the last time you actually felt hunger?  

Do you take after Dixie?  Does the smell, sight or mere thought of food make you frantic?  Do you stop when you are full or do you eat till there’s no mo? 

Are you more like Missy?  Eating a little bit all day long so you don’t take the chance that you will feel hunger?  (leaving alone the behavior part for now---but did it strike a chord in you because you too might be a “closet eater?”)  

Or do you go all day long and run on fumes like Abby?   Have you ignored your hunger signals so long that your body no longer bothers to signal that it needs some fuel?

Want to know the simple fix?  Eat by the clock.  Set the time for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Then stick to it for 2 weeks.  I guarantee by the end of these 2 weeks, you will have trained that metabolism of yours to burn your fuel efficiently, then signal to you when it’s time for more.    

Tomorrow’s blog is going to talk about the second part of this equation:  stopping when you’re full.  For now, it’s time for lunch! 

To My Dear Friends

I won't tell you WHO, exactly, I'm talking about, but someone very close to me is having the time of his life with unabashedly, unapologetically, and more than likely inappropriate abandonment, and about that, I feel JOY.

Friends, let's remember one thing:  today is the only day we have.  With the grace of God, we hope to have tomorrow, but as we know from the unspeakable tragedies that we are witnessing in Japan hour-by-hour,  there is no guarantee.

Today, treat yourself with dignity and respect.  Make yourself proud of you.  Live your life with integrity and honesty.  Don't disregard your health.  Don't choose anything--substance or behavior--that you KNOW is going to make you feel ashamed or guilty about later...

When you lay your head on the pillow tonight, will you be able to say, "Well done?"

What's that old saying about character?  "Character is how you behave when nobody is watching..."

And if you get a chance, I hope you dance.......

It's Time!

If I stay true to my intent, (which was to suggest to anyone interested how to stop bad habits and pick up new ones to meet a goal of getting healthy,) I need to pay a little bit more than lip service to the exercise piece.

Exhibit A.  I knew it was happening, because he would tell me at the end of rushed conversations that he would call me back after the gym, but I guess I didn't give it the real 2 brain cells rubbing together to process that our son, Stratton, started working out.  Like he was on a mission. So when he walked in for Spring Break, and AJ said, "You look like you've lost a lot of weight," to which he replied, "I've lost 17 pounds this semester!" it hit me.

Doing nothing more than working out.  Not a single change in his (mostly liquid) diet.  "Just" working out.  Now that he had my attention, he replied to her inquisition, "a few laps around the track, 30 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the stair climber and a sauna to finish up the 45 minutes."

Boom.

Exhibit B.  My friend Courtney.  "Tired of the muffin top," she started doing a rigorous daily routine that is all the rage these days.  I'm sure you know someone who is doing it as well.  I've not laid eyes on her, so I can't attest to the physical change.  But what I HAVE done is keep up with her mental attitude (admittedly, through Facebook) and have to remark how positive, dedicated, bubbly and enthusiastic she is about her passion.  She cooks healthy food, she shares her healthy recipes, she genuinely wants to help others ignite the flame.

Now I hate exercise as much as the next person, and you wanna talk "busy," I'll stack my schedule against yours any day.  But look at it this way.  You find time for the internet; otherwise you wouldn't be reading my blog right now.  You find time to watch American Idol.  (You DO, don't you?)

Take a look at the simplicity of Stratton's routine.  Or take a look at the devotion of Courtney in front of her tv each day.  Why not meet somewhere in the middle of that?  Can you find time to walk 3 miles in the glorious Spring weather?  Now that daylights savings time has happened again and we have longer days, would it be possible to add 45 minutes outside before starting your inside routine?

Let's visit about this again....I think it's a big deal.  No, I know it is....