tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71852944224408553082012-01-26T13:53:28.521-08:00It's all about me and my food.Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.comBlogger2831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-12771622833821079752012-01-26T13:46:00.000-08:002012-01-26T13:49:58.429-08:00

So, does it really take a whole day to cook a couple of boneless chicken breasts in a can of "soup" and a block of cream cheese? In my universe, with the laws of physics as I understand them, it takes maybe 30-40 minutes, max. Sorry, but boiling that... amazing concoction for eight hours doesn't auto-magically turn it into "scratch" cooking. Your cat may have kittens in the oven, but it don't

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-24746412830546011672012-01-15T21:53:00.000-08:002012-01-15T21:54:35.779-08:00

I keep forgetting to tell y'all about this: I discovered some while back that if you have, say, two cups of leftover Riso alla Pitoca and a quart or so of chicken stock, you can have a pretty damned amazing chicken and rice soup in a matter of moments. Who knew? I'm sure it would work just as well with the Risotto di Zucca, or with any risotto, I suppose. So there's your first tip of the year,

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-34316416911510658962011-11-21T18:28:00.000-08:002011-11-21T18:39:10.654-08:00

Traffic on the way home. Walk in the door twenty minutes late. Drop the purse on the counter, turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Hack a head of cauliflower into submission, drop on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, slide in the almost-preheated oven. Set timer for 15 minutes. Open a caffeine-free diet soda and check email.Wander back into the kitchen. Fill a saucepan

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-70955460821963889572011-06-09T14:38:00.000-07:002011-06-09T15:01:46.947-07:00

I recently reached a milestone: I pulled out the bread machine and made a loaf of sandwich bread. This had been my husband's task, and I hadn't touched the machine since last August, when he got too ill to do it.Apropos of nothing, it called to me the other day. The recipe was still stuck to the side of the fridge with my Dan Quayle magnet (long story), and there was enough whole wheat flour and

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-73308560080574734662011-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:002011-06-03T09:31:21.873-07:00

It's so freaking hard to figure out if a health or nutritional study currently being trumpeted by the media is worth paying any attention to. I pretty much have given up, and have decided to just stick to "real food" as much as I can -- making meals from building blocks as basic as I can manage. And overall I feel pretty good about what I shove in my face, and my son's, but I've always been a

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-16154688733468786272011-05-20T13:28:00.000-07:002011-05-20T14:05:07.367-07:00

OK, I finally figured out how to break my Diet Coke habit. Say hello to my not-so-little friend:For the last week or so I've been filling this bad boy, all 64 oz of him, up to the brim at the 7-Eleven... until today. Today I quit. Yeah, just like that.The habit started when my husband was diagnosed with malignant (metastatic) melanoma, just about 11 months ago. The ritual carried me through the

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-23737396012708083572011-05-13T10:50:00.000-07:002011-05-13T11:04:54.174-07:00

So, yeah, I've been using the Costco weight loss shakes to wean myself off fast food lunches. It's been working pretty well, but I've been nagged by the sense that I've been drinking nothing more than YooHoo with a fancy label. Today I finally crunched the numbers. Guess what? Turns out that about 1.7 of the 6.5 oz YooHoo drink boxes (plus 2T of protein powder) come pretty damned close to the

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-49417032173188709642011-04-14T14:06:00.000-07:002011-04-14T14:48:10.698-07:00

Is it still blogging if I only post every five months?Not even going to bore you with what's been going on around here, but overall it has been OK. Not easy, but OK. And I am thrilled with OK.I did drop a few pounds (depending on what day it is) and I manage to put something resembling food on the table most days. I've succeeded in cutting my fast food consumption way down (except for the Diet

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-84011392828411159212010-11-22T12:40:00.001-08:002011-05-11T12:10:18.282-07:00

I'm sure most of you (if there are any of you left) already know that things went downhill fast and Hubby passed away near the end of September. It's impossible to believe it was almost two months ago. I'm not going to whine about how much it sucks (lots) or how hard it is (very) 'cause I already have other outlets for that. Here, I can write about other things, like, say, food.So let's do

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-23064473279851763152010-08-12T11:39:00.000-07:002010-08-12T14:43:54.648-07:00

Hi, I'm back! Here's how I spent the last six weeks, in three acts:Act I: Hubby gets cancer diagnosis. Ahhhh! Run around hysterically, rend garments, ululate a little (in private, of course). Tests are run, no one knows WTF is going on. Fall into depths of despair. Screw 2012 -- world will certainly end before that.Act II: Information dribbles in. Puzzle pieces sssllllowly drift into place. Aha!

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-30856949079374723442010-06-29T13:47:00.000-07:002010-06-29T14:03:20.751-07:00

Funny how life sometimes take an abrupt left turn as you were leaning right, isn't it? Here we are, cruising along nicely after our wedding last November, and out of nowhere my husband finds out he has a fairly serious illness. So instead of beating ourselves up over those extra twenty ten pounds, we get to figure out how to deal with nastiness like tests and scans and treatments and specialists

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-62587774492577009202010-06-03T15:36:00.000-07:002010-06-03T16:33:07.153-07:00

(Like the new banner? That's what happens when I'm stuck at my desk with a paint program on my computer and no real work to do.)How did I ever manage to cook before the interwebs were invented? I constantly scour my favorite food blogs and websites for recipes. I keep track of them in a blog that I use as a virtual shoebox. I write them up here so I can find them when I lose the scribbled-up

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-82693735711785042602010-06-02T13:39:00.000-07:002010-06-02T14:17:49.014-07:00

I'm so predictable, aren't I? You knew that if you just waited a few days I'd calm down, and I have.Even though I am no longer completely freaked out, the message from the book did stick with me and I'm making good strides at incorporating some changes. (Could that sentence be any more non-committal?)Seriously, in the last week or so I've struck most of the sugar, cheese, butter, and meat from my

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-21301730168325327402010-05-25T14:31:00.000-07:002010-05-27T13:27:10.036-07:00

You can relax -- I haven't yet succumbed to the temptation of Shakeology. I haven't gone to Weight Watchers, either. Why? Well, I've had a few interesting experiences that have forced me to reconsider my course of action.In other words, right now I'm conflicted as hell.A few weeks back I started acupuncture to (hopefully) treat a jaw problem. Part of this treatment plan is a nutritional

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-2075810412626055022010-04-30T21:20:00.000-07:002011-05-11T12:09:54.719-07:00

I can't believe I'm actually considering this...After whining profusely about by weight and swearing up and down (well, OK, here) that I was not going to do any more diet gimmicks, I am, uh, considering a diet gimmick.Why? One word: Desperation.Since I wrote that post almost five months ago, I'm even heavier. I've had to buy larger pants, the first time I've ever worn this size. I'm afraid to

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-72596558632617764482010-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:002010-04-28T10:31:32.536-07:00

I often go on these random blogwalks that land me in the most unexpected places. A most recent one landed me on this recipe for Chilaquiles, which I learned is a Mexican comfort food, a way to use up stale tortillas, and often eaten for breakfast. Kind of like French toast (aka pain perdu) without the syrup.I am always looking for an excuse to eat corn tortillas so I had to give it a try. I knew

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-5198146997700033032010-04-14T10:48:00.000-07:002010-04-14T10:59:09.449-07:00

Our holiday-ish dinner worked out pretty well, really. The iceberg wedge was an excellent Thousand Island delivery mechanism, the ham was good even though there wasn't much of it, and artichokes are always fun. The pan-fried sweet potatoes were a bit of a hassle, and were indistinguishable from oven-fried, which would have been a lot less hassle. Oh well.This weekend, however, is my most

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-31209642735658706002010-04-04T10:48:00.000-07:002010-04-04T11:16:48.552-07:00

I was reading back over my posts from last April, particularly the Hot Cross Buns and the holiday dinner we made for friends, and I was shocked at how motivated I was. This year it looks like I got nothin'. I ordered Hot Cross Buns from a small local bakery (they were great!), I didn't color eggs, and we just now decided what we're cooking for Easter dinner tonight. I'm not sure I can even call

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-20695880761916285812010-03-24T11:09:00.000-07:002010-03-24T11:54:06.571-07:00

OK, I haven't been real fired up in the cooking department, but I did figure out a way to make a fast, easy dinner even faster. You know the saying about if you want some thing done efficiently you should find a lazy person to do it? Well, that would be me.Last night I wanted to make my Fast Santa Fe Rice & Beans but I didn't have a can of tomatillos, and I didn't feel like chopping an onion, but

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-63588682048006832912010-02-26T14:25:00.000-08:002010-02-26T15:23:11.125-08:00

Back when I revamped my eating style, I stopped buying canned soup. It was a pretty easy step actually; I can't remember the last time I cooked with canned soup, and I quickly found suitable replacements for my old standby lunches: tomato soup (Note: do NOT add the cloves!) and bean & bacon soup.But every once in awhile, there is a dish that screams for canned cream of mushroom soup. I grew up in

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-39454490631382269482010-02-18T09:55:00.000-08:002010-02-18T09:55:00.367-08:00

OK, so this next recipe isn't exactly in keeping with my dietary goals, but I made it for Valentine's Day so I get a free pass, right? It does, however, fall squarely into the Make It Myself category of things that are much cheaper to make than to buy.Make what? Truffles, of course! I swear, it is so easy that the next time someone tries to sell you a $5.00 truffle you will toss back your head

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-76366001813051600472010-02-08T13:31:00.001-08:002010-02-08T13:42:57.207-08:00

Yep, it's February, all right. My mental energy is at its absolute lowest. I'm lucky enough just to get the things done I absolutely have to do -- there's not one shred of motivation left for anything extra.It makes no sense, really. We're gaining several minutes of daylight every day. It's no longer dark when I leave the house in the morning, and it's not dark when I leave work although it is

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-32761611084075028282010-01-13T14:45:00.000-08:002010-01-13T15:49:27.645-08:00

I'd been pondering out how to get my son to eat fruit other than Cuties or apples, and Alton Brown has come to the rescue. With his guidance, I have figured out how to make high-quality fruit smoothies in the morning quickly, with a minimum of muss and fuss. It does require some advanced prep work, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. It's so nice to be able to put one together in less than

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-25900452283363116472010-01-12T14:01:00.000-08:002010-01-12T14:38:28.929-08:00

I admit, I am standing proud and tall right in the center of the 'Mmmmm... bacon!' bandwagon, even though it has already been overused to the point of pain. But I can't help it. Bacon is tasty, and just a strip or two adds so much flavor to an otherwise veggie dish that my guys don't even miss a full serving of meat. What's not to love?It'll come as no surprise then that when I saw a link on one

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-25751568727290883492010-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:002010-01-08T09:37:02.438-08:00

It's about time someone said this out loud. In this post, Marion Nestle at Food Politics writes about what I've been experiencing for years: An extra fifty or hundred calories a day is not going to make that much difference in the long run. It takes a lot more than that to make a significant change in one's weight.Which, unfortunately, means that small changes in my diet are not going to make

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-29617733020696264562009-12-29T09:39:00.000-08:002009-12-29T10:33:13.589-08:00

I encountered these at my former sister-in-law's back in the early 1990s. It was love at first bite -- the first time I had eaten something remotely gingersnap-like without wanting to spit it on the floor. I love gingersnaps now, but for the first three decades of my life they were WAY too strong for me. I guess by my early 30s I had finally killed off enough tastebuds to enjoy them.I don't have

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-58723510312356369832009-12-28T13:46:00.000-08:002009-12-28T14:36:50.229-08:00

Hey, it's almost the end of the year! Time to make pronouncements about what I will do differently next year. I reviewed my goals for 2009 only to realize that I am not quite there. I did cut back my decaf consumption... on weekdays. I bring a travel mug of coffee from home to work and I haven't been to Sbux for a supplemental dose in months. Weekends are a different story, but oh well. I give

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-81184679217331981832009-12-17T10:23:00.000-08:002009-12-17T11:00:01.870-08:00

Emboldened by my success with Riso alla Pitoca, last weekend I tackled another of the elusive* recipes from the 'Lidia's Italy' episode called Notto Risotto. Here's the recipe as I guesstimated from the show.Risotta di Zucca (Rice with Squash)(adapted from Lidia's Italy TV show, ep. Notto Risotto)Serves 4Pestata1/2 lrg or 1 small onion, roughly chopped1-2 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped1-2

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-15734961580859107732009-12-11T09:16:00.001-08:002009-12-11T09:49:14.426-08:00

Get it? a-GAIN? Heh.The other day I got on the scale for the first time in a couple of weeks. As you may remember, my scale died so I am now using my SO's husband's scale, which weighs 6.5 pounds heavier than my old scale and probably three pounds heavier than is strictly accurate. Even taking that all into consideration, I found myself staring at a new all-time, non-pregnant, non-postpartum high

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-40190388345035778882009-12-01T11:44:00.000-08:002009-12-02T08:39:54.981-08:00

I never watch Lidia's Italy on PBS but I just happened to catch an episode this weekend. She was doing rice dishes with risotto-type rice (arborio or whatever) that didn't require the traditional risotto cooking technique. The last dish she showed was 'a traditional chicken and rice'. It looked so simple yet so amazing. It made me salivate.So I did what I always do: I headed to the intertubes to

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-63619685321217213702009-11-16T16:11:00.000-08:002009-11-16T16:31:27.553-08:00

Wow - that was crazy. I spent most of the last month focused on getting married, then I went and got married and took a week off work. I'm back at my desk today and trying to get plugged back in, but feels like I've been gone forever!Oh yeah, did I mention I'm also in the middle of NaNoWriMo? I have to admit, it's suffered over the last week or so. Let's just say I'm a few days behind. But I

Liz T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10564960460513041752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-84759056773745138752009-10-21T14:57:00.000-07:002009-10-21T15:03:26.106-07:00

As part of my halfhearted attempt to shake at least a few of the ten pounds I've regained over the past year -- or at least preventing any more from piling on -- I'm trying to cut back on my usage of 'diet dark' (aka Diet Coke and/or Pepsi). Why cut back on diet drinks while dieting? Let's just say I'm becoming more and more convinced that the regular consumption of calorie-free sweet treats

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-31165560309276649522009-10-08T08:16:00.000-07:002009-10-08T08:58:52.219-07:00

(No, not together!)I've had a couple of revelations recently that I must share with you.First, at the ripe (ha!) old age of 49, I just learned that you can indeed keep bananas in the fridge. Yes, they end up looking like hell, but that's just the peel -- the fruit stays perfectly firm. The cold slows the transformation from banana to fruit fly farm to a crawl. Unfortunately, I've also learned I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-2374208872184578002009-09-16T10:43:00.000-07:002009-09-16T11:32:51.619-07:00

Admin note: Since I'm only posting sporadically, it doesn't make sense to stick to the 'day of the week' titles, so I hereby decree that I will, from this day forth, use descriptive titles on all my posts. Yippee! Release the pigeons!Yeah, I'm still here, and yeah, I'm still struggling. I'm still eating flexitarian, mostly ovo-lacto-vegetarian (not much lacto, tho) with occasional meat. And I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-6231582001572419712009-08-07T14:09:00.000-07:002009-08-07T14:48:26.044-07:00

My SO found this recipe one evening when we were completely clueless as to what to make for dinner. They were so quick to put together, and you know what? They weren't bad.We made it as written (except subbing parsley for the - ptui! - cilantro).We had some problems keeping them from falling apart, and they were a little bland, but acceptable for something that had a prep time of less than ten

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-1787026920226511952009-07-17T12:26:00.000-07:002009-07-17T13:36:26.484-07:00

Discovery of the day: Be careful what you ask forIt might be because I have now gained back ALL THE WEIGHT I lost last year, but I've become fixated on how calorically expensive eating out can be. Lucky for me it's all over the news, with lots of blogs and books talking about our Great American Crisis. As most restaurant chains now post nutritional info on their websites, I have lots of ammo at

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-52721413220521249152009-07-13T13:08:00.000-07:002009-07-13T13:39:33.582-07:00

Discovery of the day: Italian Layered Vegetable CasseroleYou might be surprised to learn I did cook during my hiatus. Not a lot, but I did add a few new recipes to my repertoire. Take, for example, this Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole from Susan V's Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen. With all the slicing and dicing it doesn't quite qualify for Project Weeknight, but it's definitely worth doing.It's

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-44408388866960019262009-07-10T15:48:00.000-07:002009-07-10T15:54:01.928-07:00

Discovery of the day: I miss this! I really do.Life has calmed down and I have realized that I really do need to keep posting, mainly because this modest blog has turned out to be my virtual cookbook. This is where I turn when I have no idea what to cook, or when I can't remember what my final white bean chili recipe turned out to be.So I'll be back, at least whenever I try something new that

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-73923779709620075512009-06-04T15:03:00.001-07:002009-06-04T15:18:39.344-07:00

Discovery of the day: How much is too much?I want to post, I really do. I compose entries all the time, in my head, but I seem to be unable to complete the loop from brain to fingers to keyboard to Blogger.I have a lot of stuff going on right now and my brain is way too full. I had set myself a goal of posting here every workday, but that little promise has turned into something big and ominous

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-26395439927600869222009-05-22T15:22:00.000-07:002009-05-22T16:01:41.159-07:00

Discovery of the day: Another MIM success!I am pleased to announce that I successfully made a batch of yogurt last weekend that came out (almost) exactly the way I wanted.All it took was a quart of whole milk, one-third cup of dry milk powder, half a cup of yogurt (the starter), a small cooler, some hot water, and about eight hours. Oh yeah, a pot and a stove, too. And a thermometer. (Do I need

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-31842903780066682502009-05-19T15:17:00.000-07:002009-05-19T15:30:44.266-07:00

Discovery of the day: Hitting the fanIf you read my other blog, you know that I've had a couple of familial wildfires pop up in the past week and they've kind of knocked me sideways. I'm guessing my posting here may well be sparse going forward but I'll check in as often as I can come up with something to write about. Like today. I have a minor victory to share: I found the perfect bread bags.

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-87102629035043767002009-05-12T13:12:00.000-07:002012-01-26T12:47:36.030-08:00

Well, I've cranked out enough loaves of our default whole wheat sandwich bread that I now feel I've got it mastered. In my bread machine, anyway. :)I wasn't at all confident I would be able to produce a loaf that my SO and son would embrace so I was particularly thrilled to have good, repeatable results. We haven't bought sandwich bread in over six weeks! So here's my recipe, in all its simple

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-46963364787444891532009-05-07T13:40:00.000-07:002009-05-07T14:28:48.081-07:00

Discovery of the day: Going granularMade some granola the other day; the first step to making granola bars to replace the ones I buy my son from time to time. I used Mark Bittman's recipe/guidelines, given here. I used rolled oats, ground flaxseeds, pecans, walnuts, almonds, raisins, dried cherries, apricots, and honey. I also used a combo of unsweetened and sweetened coconut since I had both on

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-34724933015545249242009-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:002009-05-07T13:40:28.931-07:00

Discovery of the day: Waffle-iciousWe found a reasonable replacement waffle iron this weekend, and boy, was that a much larger hassle than I expected. The goal was to find a plain old waffle iron (don't need three kinds of 'plates') that makes regular (not belgian) waffles, is made of decent quality materials (not plastic outside), costs under $80, and could be purchased locally.It took visits to

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-91321671889375573352009-05-04T15:38:00.001-07:002009-05-04T16:23:05.918-07:00

Discovery of the day: You have got to be kidding me!We took my son to the Seattle Aquarium yesterday and decided to grab lunch at Red Robin. Along with the large, brightly-colored menus was a smaller, rather plain black and white menu-looking thing with no photos. I ignored it at first, but picked it up when I realized it was nutritional information.Can I just say? Oh My Gah.I was astonished at

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-4265528160556078032009-04-30T13:29:00.000-07:002009-04-30T13:38:17.135-07:00

Discovery of the day: You got your quinoa soup in my tamale pie!So what do you do when you dump a scoop of leftover Quinoa Soup (drained, sans avocado) on top of the leftover filling from the previous night's Tamale Pie?A surprisingly tasty and filling lunch, that's what. The scoop of Quinoa Soup didn't even require much in the way of draining, since the quinoa had already sucked up almost all of

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-67742512166162997872009-04-29T11:35:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:35:00.416-07:00

Discovery of the day: Tracking it backPoking around on the Casual Kitchen blog the other day, I found Daniel's post on Stacked Costs and Second Order Foods. I had read it when it was new but had forgotten about it. In hindsight, it was one of the factors that pushed me onto the Make It Myself path. Purchasing as many first-order foods as possible appealed to me on a very basic level.Maybe it's

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-4734915026512563982009-04-28T10:20:00.000-07:002009-04-28T10:20:00.104-07:00

Discovery of the day: Just say no!One of the many reasons I'm into the Make It Myself thing is that I am cheap. I pretty much stopped buying sugar cereals years ago, although I admit, occasionally a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch will jump in my cart; strictly for dessert use only, you understand.However, after reading this excellent treatise by Daniel over at Casual Kitchen, I may have to re-think

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-45194240621305087662009-04-27T13:04:00.000-07:002011-05-11T12:09:26.089-07:00

Discovery of the day: Rolling my ownAs you might have noticed, my loyal reader, I've been on a 'make my own stuff' kick lately. It's actually a mindset I've drifted in and out of over the years. I like to figure out how things are made, and occasionally those things have been food. But this time it's serious. I'm slowly working up a list of previously-purchased prepared foods that I am awarding

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-19836434684362980172009-04-23T16:22:00.000-07:002009-04-23T16:40:36.433-07:00

Discovery of the day: A crack in the iceI actually brought a BAS for lunch the other day, the first time in a l-o-n-g time. Not only that, but we had BBBAS for dinner the night before! I was shocked at the resistance I felt as I was chopping up that head of romaine, though. Where did this anti-lettuce attitude come from, anyway? I have no idea.Now that things look to be settling down a bit at

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-12925695359969773482009-04-22T12:02:00.000-07:002009-04-22T12:57:58.627-07:00

Discovery of the day: Tamale pieFinally got around to trying the Polenta Tamale Pie I mentioned a few months back and it was a grand success, even if it wasn't quite Project Weeknight-worthy as written. I made a few mods and was very pleased with the results.Polenta Tamale PieAdapted from Epicurious.comFilling:2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed1½ Tablespoons chili powder1 Tablespoon

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-26838283712195690052009-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:46:09.456-07:00

Discovery of the day: To AB5 or Not to AB5?So with this whole Bake Your Own Bread thing I've taken a shine to, you are probably asking yourself "Why doesn't she just get the 'Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day' book and be done with it?"I hear ya, believe me. Having a tub of bread dough in the fridge would make it a snap to bake whatever sort of delicious bread product I needed at a moment's

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-90866012969994063672009-04-20T12:52:00.000-07:002012-01-26T12:49:37.418-08:00

I mentioned last week that an otherwise perfect Project Weeknight dinner was delayed due to rolls. Fortunately, it was worth it.At first I'd planned to make focaccia using my default recipe from 'No Need To Knead' by Suzanne Dunaway. I've used it for some years now and it's great -- one quick rise and it's in the oven. But if focaccia is quick, then rolls made from the focaccia dough would be

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-61480516916005506972009-04-17T12:42:00.000-07:002009-04-20T16:12:13.845-07:00

Ha! Project Weeknight is back, in a big way. I tackled Pasta e Fagioli last night. I combined elements of two recipes and came up with something I was pretty happy with.The dish came together very quickly, but I sabotaged myself by pretending I could make yeast buns from scratch in time. I couldn't, and dinner was a good half-hour late because of it. Not that it wasn't worth it, though.But first,

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-25876436815949560632009-04-16T13:24:00.001-07:002009-04-16T13:35:22.572-07:00

Discovery of the day: SlackerI realized I haven't done a Project Weeknight post in almost a month. I'd best get on that, eh?I'm not sure why, really. I'm still saving links to recipes in my Recipe Purgatory and they all look really good, but when it comes time to cook I can only seem to come up with just enough enthusiasm to meet the minimum requirements.I haven't yet managed to consistently

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-79121481065471561252009-04-15T14:20:00.001-07:002012-01-26T12:53:21.886-08:00

As you probably guessed, I did make Hot Cross Buns last week. Thursday night I put together half a batch of the AB5 brioche dough -- subbing one cup of white whole wheat flour for a cup of the AP flour -- and set it in the fridge. I wasn't sure I wanted to make it all into buns so I made the brioche dough plain, as written. I decided to use half the batch for the buns and save the other half for

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-86232631434874972562009-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:002012-01-26T12:54:52.210-08:00

Discovery of the day: Going au naturalI don't have the HCB post done yet, but I do have the results of another experiment to share. The gray eggs on the left were dyed using beet juice. (They were s'posed to be red, honest.) The golden eggs were soaked in a dye made by boiling yellow onion skins and a couple of teaspoons of turmeric. Pretty cool, eh? Next year I'll try red onion skins for red/

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-27107912142197976702009-04-13T15:09:00.000-07:002009-04-13T16:00:31.782-07:00

Discovery of the day: Menu RecapWell, it could have gone worse. Just to refresh, we volunteered to take Easter dinner to a friend who had surgery a few days ago. The request was for ham and a few veggie side dishes. Easy, right? Yeah, you'd think. I sure did, but somehow I still ended up spending almost the entire day in the kitchen!The big-ass ham was marvelous. My SO glazed it with 1/2 c maple

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-78729222269098329382009-04-10T14:05:00.000-07:002009-04-10T14:19:18.992-07:00

Discovery of the day: The MenuHere's what I'm making for this Sunday's dinner:Big-Ass ham, of course, glaze TBDGlazed carrots w/orange & gingerNapa cabbage salad (slaw?)Molasses whipped sweet potatoesRoasted potatoes & asparagusNot sure if we're doing dessert, but if so, it will probably be a fruit crisp. The Hot Cross Buns will be for breakfast. :)Have a fun and veggie-filled weekend! 

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-51025543224364414972009-04-09T14:02:00.000-07:002011-05-11T12:09:26.090-07:00

Discovery of the day: Conflicted, much?Oh, I am so in trouble. I'm getting the baking bug, which is a Very Bad Thing. I was snooping around the Artisan Bread in Five site and decided I desperately want to make a batch of brioche dough and whip out some Hot Cross Buns, and maybe some cinnamon rolls, for Easter.It doesn't matter that I don't really celebrate Easter. It doesn't matter that the last

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-58217169842905049832009-04-08T15:34:00.000-07:002009-04-08T15:46:37.899-07:00

Discovery of the day: An opportunity to serveLet's be frank here. I'm not a super-social person. I have a very small circle of close friends. Two or three is a circle, isn't it? And they don't all live on the same coast, either.But even though I don't have a hopping social life, I do care about people I know, even if we're not close. I just don't put those thoughts and feelings into action like I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-87466482106611824662009-04-07T19:45:00.000-07:002009-04-07T19:54:22.677-07:00

Discovery of the day: Not the worst choiceI still haven't figured the salad thing out so I'm still scrambling for lunches most days. I bring leftovers if I have them, and one day a week I hit the (expensive) salad bar at the fancy pants grocery. Other days I've taken to running to the store for a frozen entree.I was pleased to learn that Kashi has entered the frozen market. I haven't done the

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-6444688073569030762009-04-06T12:32:00.000-07:002012-01-26T12:57:03.230-08:00

For my first try at making English Muffins, I chose Alton Brown's method. Not a whole grain in sight, but the recipe seemed approachable for a first attempt and reviews were generally favorable. And I like Alton Brown. :) Of course there were a few modifications: I didn't have powdered milk so I used powdered buttermilk. It took me a while to work out the conversion since I figured it couldn't be

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-9304149398385153592009-04-02T16:10:00.000-07:002010-04-30T22:04:38.778-07:00

Discovery of the day: Avgolemono againI'm actually becoming quite fond of the Greek Lemon/Egg soup (aka Avgolemono) I mentioned a while back. I have a complicated relationship with eggs, and anything that hints of an unusual (to me) usage makes me nervous. So for me to develop a liking for this soup shows that I have grown as a human being, right? OK, maybe not. In any case, it works.We each have

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-61098461789800283412009-03-31T15:59:00.000-07:002011-05-11T12:09:26.091-07:00

Discovery of the day: From scratchTwo blog posts in a row -- yay, me! One of my goals over the past year has been to make as much stuff as I can from scratch. So far we've got the mayonnaise thing nailed; we now make small batches on demand. Did you know it's just egg and oil? Amazing. I also have hazy plans to conquer dried beans, but first I need to get a freezer so I can make batches and

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-36965657924803845492009-03-30T12:21:00.000-07:002009-03-30T12:39:31.165-07:00

Discovery of the day: Enough!OK, ten days is long enough. I've got to get back to it. If there's one ting I've learned in the past year, it's that writing about eating makes me think a little more thoughtful about what I put in my mouth.Yeah, I have excuses, and I have reasons. But at the end of the day, they don't matter. I'm up eight pounds, which equals a pants size. And I'm not happy about it

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-67758341497871698862009-03-20T14:06:00.000-07:002009-03-20T14:14:19.806-07:00

Discovery of the day: Well, that was unpleasantI found out today what happens when I run out of food in my desk, which forces me to miss my 10:00 am post-coffee snack, and then I have to postpone my lunch till 12:30 because we're short-handed.Pizza is what happens. A slice of pizza and a Diet Coke, to be precise.Part of the problem is that I think I'm still dealing with ulcer-ish issues. I used

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-84939762093201702112009-03-18T12:18:00.000-07:002009-03-18T13:01:53.737-07:00

I read somewhere along the way that corned beef isn't a traditional Irish dish. I was a little disappointed, but not enough to stop me from making it yesterday to acknowledge my teensy-tiny bit of Irish heritage. I haven't cooked any corned beefs for many, many years, but I remembered it would take several hours. I couldn't leave it on the stove or in the oven all day, so the crockpot seemed to

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-27380246432725995712009-03-13T15:27:00.000-07:002009-03-13T16:31:37.393-07:00

Discovery of the day: Less than stellar momentI have been going to physical therapy three times a week for the last month or so. Today I had to do some exercises standing up and the tech wheeled over a full-length mirror so I could watch my positioning.Oh. My. Gah.First thing I thought was that I really need to get rid of these jeans, or at least put them away until I get the latest 6 pounds off

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-15684293125464688592009-03-10T14:08:00.000-07:002009-03-10T14:23:35.525-07:00

Discovery of the day: Houseguests rule!I am very lucky that our houseguest is a foodie and enjoys the same sort of foods we do. Since my SO and Guest are home this week while I toil away here at work (snort!) they are in charge of planning and executing dinners. I win!Sunday they made this Barley Soup with Mushrooms and Kale from the NY Times. Instead of dried porcini, they used some of the

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-42382403673455054652009-03-09T12:49:00.000-07:002009-03-09T12:53:03.936-07:00

Discovery of the day: Salad!I figured it out! The way to get me to start eating salads again is to have a houseguest make them. I had two salads this weekend, which may well be more than I had the entire month of February. It was a little embarrassing -- one of the bags of romaine hearts in my fridge had a 'sell by date' of Feb 1st. It was mercifully discarded, unopened. The other, dated Feb,

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-50813534711468852742009-03-04T15:38:00.000-08:002009-03-04T16:03:22.936-08:00

Discovery of the day: EmergenceI'm trying to emerge from my cocoon but it's slow going. I have to shake it off! It's March now; I can no longer blame February for my lack of... everything.So here I am, trying to get back into it.I do have a few interesting things to share. First, a Lemon (Egg) Soup w/Garbanzos from Epicurious. My SO made this (with a few changes) and it was quite nice. He added

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-20473605372651728312009-02-26T13:55:00.000-08:002009-02-26T14:19:56.916-08:00

Discovery of the Day: You say tortilla, I say tamale My SO turned out a very nice dish the other night that was totally Project Weeknight-worthy. He started with this Tortilla Pie from Epicurious, cut back on the cheese, subbed white corn tortillas for wheat, and used more salsa instead of adding the tomato sauce.It tasted good, but the texture didn't thrill us. It didn't hold together very well

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-35297820465839643472009-02-24T11:21:00.000-08:002009-02-26T13:47:28.020-08:00

Discovery of the day: And the scale sez...A whopping six point five pounds! That's the difference between my scale and my SO's. I was totally relieved that it wasn't all me, until I realized that I don't know which scale is closer to correct. And I can't think of a good way (weigh? ha!) to check. I'm guessing it would take something at least 25 lbs for a true test, and I don't think I have a

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-55275134811179921482009-02-18T12:06:00.000-08:002009-02-18T12:25:58.868-08:00

Oops! Almost forgot this one. I moved in with the SO this last weekend. Friday night, the night before we got the U-Haul, we wanted something quick, easy, and decent for dinner. We knew we'd be eating out a lot over the weekend and wanted something we could make with mostly stuff on hand and little fuss.Enter Quinoa Soup with Avocado and Corn. I spied it on the Cheap Healthy Good blog, which

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-84168750980591998012009-02-17T15:10:00.000-08:002009-02-17T15:18:22.544-08:00

Discovery of the day: Easier to quitThings around here are at maximum chaos. I'm in the middle of moving, and although I've been trying to stay within my guidelines (and thought I'd been doing OK), I got on the scale this weekend and was shocked to find that my SO's scale weighs several pounds heavier than mine. Or at least I hope that's what's going on here. I haven't done a direct comparison

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-51653941241555486272009-02-10T12:19:00.000-08:002009-02-10T12:23:04.586-08:00

Discovery of the day: Lettuce-free?Apparently I am having a lettuce-free February. I certainly didn't plan on it, but so far that's how it's gone down.There's just so much going on right now, I can't seem to get myself together enough to pack a lunch. I've had one lonely pack of romaine sitting, un-prepped, in the fridge for almost two weeks now. That's just wrong.Can't see as it's going to get

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-46846441220561769792009-02-04T15:30:00.001-08:002009-02-04T16:04:34.409-08:00

I did this one over a week ago, and darnit if I can't remember now how the final recipe evolved. The original inspiration came from Karina's Kitchen, (don't they look fabulous?) but I ended up using techniques and proportions I gathered from other sources, most likely one of Mark Bittman's books.I *love* potato pancakes, hash browns, and all sorts of those fried-potato-y kinds of things. When I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-39419856895514119782009-02-03T14:23:00.000-08:002009-02-03T14:28:51.763-08:00

Discovery of the day: AcceptanceI must accept that I probably won't be posting daily for awhile, at least not in the near future. I blame February, traditionally my worst (read: lowest-energy) month. Also, I'm getting ready to move again (fourth time in 2-1/2 years) and even though I don't seem to be making much progress, it sure seems to be sucking up a disproportionate amount of mental

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-48266581482113988142009-01-30T11:38:00.000-08:002009-01-30T12:00:21.437-08:00

Wow, I have been slack this week, haven't I?This Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup from Epicurious definitely meets the criteria for a Project Weeknight dish, with a few caveats. Earlier this week we made it pretty much as written, sans cilantro (bleck!), and we had to use full-fat coconut milk instead of light. The result was w-a-a-y too thick, under-beaned, and under-seasoned, but it had potential. I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-11131707616593191802009-01-27T13:47:00.000-08:002009-01-27T14:10:01.156-08:00

Another smashing success from the blog of my culinary guru, Mark Bittman. OK, so it's not his recipe. But he posted it, so he approved it, as did we.I made this 'Seven-P Pasta' one evening for an out-of-town guest. I am a lousy host -- I have a very short attention span and am easily distracted (and I'd much rather play with my guests than cook) -- so I know that if I'm feeding friends I need to

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-34131018571559867642009-01-26T16:41:00.000-08:002009-01-26T16:50:54.745-08:00

Discovery of the day: I need a planIt's a known fact: my mood drops in the winter and my motivation goes right along with it. It's that time of year when I look at the clock at work, notice it's 4:30pm, and wonder "Gee, I wonder what we should have for dinner?"That, my friends, is dangerous thinking.I know better than to declare that I am going to completely plan out the entire week's menus.

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-30189716212941011252009-01-23T12:35:00.000-08:002009-01-23T12:37:44.686-08:00

Discovery of the day: When the going gets tough...... the tough go out to dinner.I had an MRI this morning and my shoulder is killing me. I drove myself into work afterward, but have since decided I need to go home.What do I do when I'm stressed? I eat. If I can make it home without a side-trip through the Burger King drive-thru, I'll be lucky.Youch!! 

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-57672101857881226562009-01-22T10:12:00.000-08:002009-01-22T10:22:32.809-08:00

Discovery of the day: Good news, bad newsGood news: Since my last whiny post I've done much better with the cooking. I actually have at least two more Project Weeknight posts lined up but I want to spread them out just a wee bit. Also, while I haven't lost weight, I haven't gained any either. And I've cut my decaf consumption by at least a third, maybe even by half.Bad news: Oops - I feel another

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-77889282760685212822009-01-21T10:41:00.000-08:002009-01-21T11:11:08.930-08:00

We had company last weekend. We'd had a large, late lunch on Saturday so when we finally did decide it was time to eat again, we weren't looking for anything intricate or bulky. It wasn't a weeknight but my energy level definitely dictated a Project Weeknight-type dish.I rifled through my Recipe Purgatory and decided to test-drive this version of a Tomato and Bread Soup. I'd found it on Cheap

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-56137574774109064352009-01-19T13:24:00.001-08:002009-01-19T13:57:09.476-08:00

Discovery of the day: Authentic California Cuisine(Hmmm... not sure what happened to Friday.)Here's a recipe for a quick-n-easy breakfast treat from my SO's youth. He grew up in Northern California (OK, Northeastern California). Avocados, asparagus, artichokes, and almonds were part of his native culture.(I grew up in Indiana. I'm pretty sure I didn't taste any of those, excepting almonds, until

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-51314842379016812312009-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:002009-01-15T10:13:23.713-08:00

Hey, look at me! Two Project Weeknight posts in one week!I've had my eyes on this recipe from Karina's Kitchen for awhile and finally got around to trying it.I knew I'd have to rely on pre-cooked rice to make the time deadline. I usually have some in the freezer. In fact, I had all of the ingredients on hand except for red pepper which is ironic since I almost always have those. Since peppers

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-53561094195489481342009-01-14T13:28:00.000-08:002009-01-14T13:43:56.864-08:00

Discovery of the day: Losing timeAre you sure I didn't post yesterday? I was sure I did. I think the problem is that I write all sorts of blog posts in my mind while I'm out and about, and sometimes I think I've actually posted them. Then, of course when I sit down to actually write, I forget them all.I'm still struggling through the Dark Days. My motivation for cooking and eating properly waxes

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-75209540541476678502009-01-12T16:06:00.001-08:002009-01-12T16:29:12.370-08:00

I'm trying to get back on the wagon here and do one Project Weeknight post per week. I'm still in hibernation mode so it's a hard climb. Even though last night wasn't a weeknight, this recipe might qualify for 45-min status, with a qualifier.This recipe from Jaime at Cheap Healthy Good (one of my go-to blogs) was my inspiration, and I cracked open my brand new Christmas-gift copy of Mark

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-56659341011430966882009-01-09T13:48:00.000-08:002009-01-09T14:05:34.947-08:00

Discovery of the day: Back at it!I'm back! The meals at both vegetarian restaurants we went to in SF were amazing. They were easily better than most of the 'regular' restaurant meals I've had lately. I didn't do too badly on the trip, overall, but the scale is definitely up a good 5 lbs from mid-November.That's actually not bad compared to other holiday seasons, but as a life-long member of the

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-53071367528317408252008-12-31T16:08:00.000-08:002008-12-31T16:18:20.565-08:00

It's New Year's Eve!Sorry to have been so absent. The last week has been nuts, but you knew that.I'm off to San Francisco for a business trip. We already have reservations at two vegetarian restaurants, Greens and Millenium, so I am encouraged about my ability to Make Good Choices while I'm there.I'll be back on the 8th, hopefully with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for cooking (it's been sadly

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-91341392888507514262008-12-23T15:29:00.001-08:002008-12-31T16:16:45.740-08:00

Discovery of the day: Birthday weekend from hell!Actually it wasn't that bad, it's just that our quick little trip out of town got sabotaged by a snowstorm the likes of which haven't been seen in these parts for oh, at least a decade or so. We got trapped out of town for an extra day, which meant more (expensive) eating out than I'd planned.I tried to be good, I really did, but expensive little

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-65101488944108735672008-12-17T14:11:00.000-08:002008-12-17T14:46:03.548-08:00

Discovery of the day: Reduced rationsThe scale is betraying me. I thought I was doing OK, but this morning I realized that the 1-2 lbs I thought I'd gained back since I had to stop running has now grown to 4-4.5 lbs.A couple of snacks from the holiday goodie table each day at work (damn you, Ghiradelli chocolate squares!) plus some cookies at home each night is really starting to add up. Doesn't

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-89020032951964848682008-12-15T14:15:00.000-08:002008-12-15T14:28:37.507-08:00

Discovery of the day: So far, so goodWe stuck to our plans and only made four kinds of cookies. Oh yeah, and a pan of gingerbread, but it was gingerbread cake, not gingerbread cookies, so it didn't count. And the fact that the three of us ate over 3/4 of it in two days? Well, we'll just not speak of that ever again, OK?I'm watching the scale pretty closely these days. Between my faltering mood (I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-6444016404932473442008-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:002008-12-10T15:19:46.192-08:00

Discovery of the day: PrioritiesWell, I have no idea what I'm cooking for dinner tonight, but I bought everything I need to make cookies this weekend.Good think I have my priorities straight, huh? 

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-21719984019707521462008-12-09T14:15:00.001-08:002008-12-09T14:58:01.378-08:00

Discovery of the day: Holiday baking manifestoWe're only going to make four kinds of cookies this year. We've settled on the top four 'must-haves'. And I'm going to make them as written, no 'healthier' substitutions.Did I mention that I used to be a cake decorator and a professional baker wanna-be? My rehabilitation has gone pretty well so far. I'm only hoping that the cookies don't prove to be

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-3470316960650602722008-12-08T11:48:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:20:47.086-08:00

Discovery of the day: The OnslaughtIt has begun. The company I work for has been in business for some years, owned by the same couple, and has many long-term business relationships. And apparently, long-term relationships = holiday treats.I'd somehow managed to forget that, for the first three weeks of December, we are bombarded with boxes full of delicious holiday goodies.Last week we got lucky,

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-54666881529085311192008-12-05T08:54:00.000-08:002008-12-05T09:22:32.478-08:00

Discovery of the day: Apple-choco-p-b-iciousAs you have already heard, I have a lot of apples at my house right now. I've been trying to find ways to get my son to eat more of them, and I recently discovered a dessert option he doesn't turn up his nose at.Cut the apple in half, scoop out the core with a melon baller. Fill the hole in each half with peanut butter, as much as you'd like. I try to

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-66725973940879502662008-12-04T11:42:00.000-08:002008-12-04T11:58:56.678-08:00

Discovery of the day: Dark daysSo here's the problem. Since I started running back in May, I've been able to be a little more relaxed with my food choices. And I've gotten to a point where I'm pretty happy with the balance I've reached. I'm eating grains regularly, and usually only eat salad for lunch on weekdays. I can even get away with a treat of some sort most days.(Speaking of treat, did I

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7185294422440855308.post-66556708803548838142008-12-03T11:32:00.000-08:002008-12-03T11:53:18.422-08:00

Discovery of the day: Crockpot to the rescueI ended up with a whole bunch of apples, then I went and got some more. Digging through the box the other day, I noticed some of them had gotten away from me. I had to throw a couple out, but most of the ones I culled had just one spot going bad.So now what? I could make apple crisp, but I'm on a dessert moratorium (more on that another day.) I could

Liz T.noreply@blogger.com1