Need Some Food Ideas?

Who doesn’t love food? Anybody? I thought as much; I am just as big a fan as the rest of you, but I want easy. Easy to me does not mean frozen meals, fast food, or out of a box, it just means it takes less than an hour from preparation to the table. With as busy as I am, and I know that each of you are feeling the same way, the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time making dinner. Because after dinner comes the cleanup and well that’s a discussion better left for another time. Ok, where was I, oh right, easy meals that can be made in under an hour. Well, salad is a quick one but that does get old after about the third day. However, I have two salads here that are pretty simple to make.

This first one is an Antipasto Chef’s Salad that comes from the kitchens of Food Network, and link is: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/antipasto-chefs-salad-recipe/index.html and is 400 calories a serving. If you are counting the calories (like I am now) there are ways to adjust the ingredients to bring that number down some. Essentially the cooking part of this salad is boiling the eggs and the potatoes. The rest is gathering ingredients, making the dressing and assembling the salad. SEE EASY! I know the picture looks pretty, but if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be thinking about making that salad right now, would you?

The next one is another salad which is a Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp, and it is from the Cooking Light Food Community; the link is: http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?44600-Rev-Greek-Grilled-Shrimp-Salad and this salad is less than 300 calories. Once again, the cooking time is for the shrimp, and the rest is gathering ingredients, making the dressing, and assembling the salad. Both salads, I have made and taken the pictures for this post. This is just simple food that tastes good. 

OK, now we are bored with the salad run, and it’s time to move on to other dishes like an easy Poblano Turkey Chili. I just made this meal last night, and I can honestly say that it’s going to be a favorite in our house. This chili has the potential to be really spicy (if you are heavy-handed with the chili powder), but I found that it was packed with so much flavor, and it all melded together perfectly. This recipe also comes from Cooking Light, and the link is: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/poblano-turkey-sausage-chili-50400000123569/ and is only about 218 calories per serving. I’m a huge fan of one-pot meals, if there is a way to put it in a soup, stew, or crock pot, I will try it at least once. I have concocted (yes, I used that word on purpose) some really strange food trying to get it in one pot. I think the next time I’m going to substitute white beans for the pintos (I know that’s not very chili like, but that’s how we roll here) and then beef up the spicy side with more chili powder (I’m going to use more chipotle next time). This is definitely a winner for a cold winter day, holiday gathering where it’s made and then kept warm in a crock pot or even Super bowl Sunday. I can honestly say that I didn’t miss having cornbread but then again, we’re counting the calories and carbohydrates are not part of my food plan (unless they are in fruit or vegetables).

Well, that’s all for now, I’m off to pack for a road trip; tune in next time when there will be another round of “Living the Life.”

 

A Little Bit About Me

            I thought it might be time to introduce myself and share a bit of who I am. I was an Army Brat, born in Monrovia, Liberia (Africa) in 1968. My father was stationed there at the American Embassy. Growing up I traveled to a lot of different places and met a lot of different people over my 40+ years. I’m thankful for FB because I have found old friends from my overseas high school days that I would not have found without it. But I digress…… From Africa, we moved to Panama, next was Ft. Carson Colorado. My memories of those times are very spotty, but my mother is always sharing the stories.

            I really started coming to my own when we moved to Berchtesgaden in 1976. I was in middle school, and I was always the pushing the envelope. It was just my brother and I (I’m the youngest) and while I was getting myself in trouble, my brother was right there covering it up and protecting me from the backlash. Thanks for that Bill. Christmas that year my Aunt gave my brother and I, skies and all the accessories and in January 1977, they took us skiing. My first trip up the ski lift I didn’t make it 100ft from the lift when I fell and broke my left leg. I spent almost 5 months in three different casts. It probably wouldn’t have been that long if the broken bone was set right the first two times. By the time an exchange doctor from England came along for the last replacement, it was discovered that my leg needed to be broken and then set correctly so it could heal. Oh and physical therapy was not part of the healing back then. I remember after the leg was finally healed (in the middle of May) they came in and took off the cast and said have a nice day. I hopped off the table and promptly hit the floor when my leg gave out. Well, I managed to heal up pretty well because I’m not a quitter. That same year when it was time for skiing I put them on again and after the first run down the hill and many face plants later, I became the biggest hotdog, there was. Man, those were the days.

            Not a lot of interesting things happened until the year we moved to Kuwait (1982). This was before Desert Storm and the Iraq invasion, but it was still during tense times. I was starting my freshman year in high school in a foreign country and met some really great people (I found over 30 years later on Facebook, but that’s for another segment). The winter of my sophomore year the country was bombed in six different locations; two of them were the American Embassy (both my parents were working at the time) and the clock tower just outside the American School of Kuwait (during school time). That was probably the scariest time because it was during a 12hour period that I thought I was an orphan, but it turned out alright in my book. Both of my parents are alive and well and living in Seattle, WA.

            From Kuwait, we moved to Seattle, WA, in 1985 where my parents and I settled until I met my husband (1991). Come back later when I will share the story of how my husband and I met, and he made me an Army Wife; it's a fun and interesting story. This is me just living the life that I wouldn’t change for a minute.

My Introduction to Romance

            I’m just a girl who was lucky enough to meet and marry that one perfect man who brings romance into my life every day. Some wonder why I feel the need to read romance when I experience romance every day, but the real reason is sometimes I just want to sit and be entertained by a story that makes you laugh, and makes you cry but when you close the book you know that everyone is following their dream of HEA.

            I wasn’t much of a reader through my school years, and then I read a lot on the job that the thought of reading a novel was almost painful. My sister-in-law introduced me romance novels in 1994 with novels by Diana Palmer (http://www.dianapalmer.com/) and Nora Roberts (http://www.noraroberts.com/). She is an avid reader, and I thought I had nothing to lose so why not. Well, needless to say I was sucked in right from the start. I couldn’t seem to get enough of the stories. Watching the stories begin with that first fluttering feeling when you meet Mr. Right on up to that HEA when everyone is in love.

            I knew those were not the only authors so off to the book store I went to see what I could find. Along came Lori Foster (http://lorifoster.com/) in 1996 when I found myself relating to the heroines and feeling like I was in the stories with every page I turned and then wait, there are mystery and suspense in the romance, who knew? Oh wait, there’s action, weapons, fighting from Cherry Adair (http://cherryadair.com/) and after that the heart pounding came in from any situation you can imagine, kidnapping, mugging, and murder that of course were solved by the last page so while I was anxious throughout the story, I did get that feel good when I closed the book.

            Well, in comes Roxanne St. Claire (http://www.roxannestclaire.com/) with Tropical Getaway and Ava and Dane, who are trying to solve a mystery while fight their attraction for each other. You know they succumbed eventually; it’s the path, they walked that was their adventure. I loved this book and was really sad when I had to read the last page. Oh, but it gets better; she wrote the Bullet Catchers series which gave me bodyguards, car chases, and gun fights, heart-pounding  action that was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. I LOVED IT! The whole series, I couldn’t get enough of them; I read them so many times that I could recite my favorite passages. However, she didn’t stop there; she gives us the Guardian Angelinos series that offers stories written about beautiful settings, heart tugging romance, and constant action/adventure which up to this point they are cherished love stories (she still has more to write).

            I also discovered Dinah McCall and Sharon Sala not knowing they were the same person (http://www.sharonsalabooks.com/). What makes her books so great is the realistic feel of each place and each person she writes about. My favorite series is Diamond, Queen, and Lucky; I laughed and cried several times throughout that series but when I put them down I sighed each time and was sorry that the story had to end. Then, I read When You Call My Name, and I fell in love with Wyatt and Glory. I can pick up that book and start reading anywhere know exactly where I was in the story and read it right to the end. My all-time favorite book of hers is The Warrior with John Nightwalker and Alicia Ponte, and I love the mystery that surrounds these two while John is protecting Alicia from her father. If you’re intrigued, you should find the book and read it.

            Oh and let’s not forget the historical novels being written by fabulous authors like Delilah Marvelle (http://www.delilahmarvelle.com) who writes about scandalous items during historical times and oh boy; she does it well <whew> <sweaty brow>. The heroes are fan worthy, and the heroines are strong and capable of standing on their own. Then there were the other worlds created by authors like Nalini Singh (http://www.nalinisingh.com/) whose Psy-Changling series is intricate and detailed but not so much that it’s hard to follow, but so well thought through that the separate worlds do crossover at times. I’m fascinated by this series and the characters within, and the whole time I feel like I’m there when reading and when I close the book, that world fades and my world appears.

            These are not the only authors that I read or have read, but they are the most notable at this time. There is one romance writer who will remain anonymous until her book is published, and then you’ll find her as part of future postings (and you know who you are).

Stop back by again for future postings on romance.

It’s time to stop Hiding

In January, 2013, my husband and I celebrated our 20^th Wedding Anniversary in Las Vegas. Up to that point, my goal was to lose weight, get in shape, etc. I kept telling saying I’m going to change things, eat better, exercise, and I KNOW that each of you reading this has said something similar sometime in your life. Anyway, while in Vegas, I was the slow person, everyone had to wait for; my knees and feet hurt on the walks and when I wasn’t sitting I can honestly say I was miserable when I had to move and angry with myself for lying to myself about changing. I felt bad that I was slowing everyone down so I could keep up. When I got home, I took a long look at myself and what I’d become, and I didn’t like the person looking back at me. I’m in my 40s but what I really felt like was that little fat girl that I’ve been carrying around with me all my life and I decided that she needed to go.

There is an upside I promise, so please don’t stop reading now. Ok where was I oh yes the upside. When we came back from Vegas, my knees were hurting me so much that just walking through the apartment was tough to do. After much (supportive) badgering from my husband, I went to the doctor where he shot cortisone in one knee, and then he asked me the tough question; “Are you happy with yourself and how you feel?” My first thought was to say things are fine, because that is my classic response, but what I did say was no, I’m not happy; I'm frustrated; I can’t seem to lose any weight and exercising is just too painful to keep up for an extended period. About 4 years ago, I was at my highest weight (375lbs) and then my husband and I moved to CA. I started working out and watching the food some and I lost 70 lbs. but it stopped there and for the last four years I have not been able to break 305 so they only thing left to do was take the doctor’s advice and join the weight loss program.

I researched the program and thought what do I have to lose, so I signed up and for 10 weeks I exercised hard, watched the food I ate and lost 35 pounds, and 13 inches total. It can be done after you stop lying to yourself and start looking at the food you eat. I’m here working every day, walking 3miles four times a week, weight lifting 2 days a week. I challenge each of you reading this to join me in becoming healthier, but you have to be willing to be honest with yourself about ALL the food you are eating.

I want to thank my husband for standing by and supporting me through this process by working out with me and fitting my food plan to his. I wouldn’t have gotten this far alone. If you want to know about the program, I’m happy to share the information with you, just leave a comment below.  I’ll be sharing my progress and posting pictures as the milestones hit. Thank you to everyone who reads this because you’ll be helping me achieve my goal.