The weather here is beautiful...

For about four days in a row, it was super hot and humid. Today the breezes are blowing and it was a pleasure to take my trusty loppers and my red walking stick and play around in the woods. I can only work for about 30 minutes before my face gets hot and scary red and I have to go back in. I am extremely fair skinned and I want to think the redness is from that and not my lack of fitness. On the other hand I can hike around for long periods of time, it's just when I start pulling vines from trees and sawing branches that I get overheated. I suppose that's to be expected, but it certainly makes me feel limited and I don't like that.

I had my 56th birthday Saturday and in my family that's like 36. My mother and grandmother and all my uncles lived long, long lives. They never did a lot of physical activity, they just "puttered around" with flowers and yard work. Maybe I need to pace myself more.

This weekend the sweetest cheerleaders from our local high school came by selling candles. As they were leaving one of them got stung by a yellow jacket on my porch. I hate bees of any kind and I know how it is to be freaked out by them. The little thing was in such pain and so scared, that I brought them in and cracked ice with a hammer and had her hold a baggie of ice on the sting. I will see them again when they bring my order. Boy, am I glad I had already made my purchase when she got stung, otherwise it would have looked like an "I'm guilty" purchase.

That's all for today, still hanging in at 170-171, but with this heat I'm not eating as much and hopefully I will jump start myself back into actually losing. Maintaining is important, but I wants to lose!!

Have a great week kids and stay healthy and happy!!

Don't Give Up On Me

Just a quick post to let you know I'm still hanging in there. I seem to have blogger block today. I want to post something inspiring and witty and wise, but it just isn't coming to me.

I did have to cut down a pair of jeans because they were too big. I love to sew and being able to alter jeans is pretty cool.

That's it for now, if anything stupendous hits me, I'll be sure and let you know.

Take care, and eat healthy!

No sugar, no problem

This is the first time in my memory that I did not eat Easter candy. I didn't miss it at all. I am still hovering at 168, 169, 170. I have been doing some walking in my woods and am looking forward to making a path that I can keep cleared enough for walking.

It looks like a nice gentle slope and when it is cleared of vines, stickers and such, going down to the creek is pretty easy...


It's getting back up the hill from the creek that always looks daunting. I keep my trusty red broom handle to use as a walking stick, and I haven't fallen yet.

It just doesn't look that far when you start out, but once you get down to the bottom...yep, you have to trudge on back up.

I figure if I do this every day that it's not raining, I'll get in great shape. That's my plan for now.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Take care and enjoy the rest of it.

Beam Me Up, Scottie

I have been having the most vivid, lengthy dreams lately. The only thing I can remember about last night's dream is that I had a Star Trek transporter on the rug in front of my kitchen sink.

Maybe I will start interspersing dreams into this blog, along with my weight loss journey and the occasional recipes.

Also, I was wondering who here checks out my other blog, which is mostly art and jewelry.


Well, that's it for today, take care and eat healthy.

quick update

Just to let you know, not only did I see 169 this week, I also saw 168.5. I weigh more than once a week. It's the only way I can keep on track.

That's it for now, except for a quick soft drink recipe.

Take your favorite natural fruit juice (bottled pure orange juice works well)
pour over ice to about 1/2 of your cup and the fill up the rest of the way with sparkling water.
Add a bit of fructose sweetener to taste...

and you have an old fashioned orange-ade, just like at the soda fountain, minus the simple syrup they used.

Enjoy...ahhh

Still no loss, no gain, but still in the pink!

I will not be unhappy with this plateau. As soon as the weather permits, I will be working quite vigorously in my back woods and I am sure that will help with the stall in weight loss that I am experiencing. In the mean time, just a quick mention of something I did today. I love hot tea on a rainy day and I really love flavored and spicy teas. Alas, I had no flavored teabags. I tried this...

heat water for teabag
dunk said teabag for however long y'all want
heat (I used the microwave on 14 seconds) a tablespoon
of your favorite fruit spread and then remove the solid fruit (if any)
stir the remaining melted syrup into hot tea and WOWZY, WOO WOO!!!

Hold on to your socks, cause this is delish!!!!

Seriously though, the all-fruit spreads (not jams and jellies, check that label) are not sweetened with sugar, but juice and concentrate. Fruit juices and concentrates make for great sweeteners when you are avoiding refined sugars and honey. Be sure to check out the book and the website, "Dr. Gott's No Sugar No Flour Diet" for more interesting information on this subject.

That's it for now. Take care and enjoy your day.

Dress up that boring chicken

We all know that baked chicken is healthier than that yummy, crumbly, fried Southern delight. Sometimes plain baked chicken is just not that tasty. You can, of course, crush up potato chips/crisps to use as a coating and then bake your chicken. While this is really tasty and is flour free, it does add quite a bit of salt and oil, depending on the chips/crisps that you use.

Since most of us want more control in our cooking, I decided to zip up my chicken by using gluten free (since I don't do flours of any kind) cracker crumbs. I use Mary's Gone Crackers, that I get at my super market.

These crackers are not what you are used to. They are very thin and very crisp and probably an acquired taste. When you are going flour free, your search for more natural products may include some pretty gnarly tasting food stuffs. I tried these without much hope, but quickly realized that these rustic little crackers are really pretty good.

I crushed about 6-7 crackers in a plastic food storage bag, using a juice glass. I use a plastic bag, because you can see which pieces need more crushing, but you certainly can be more earth friendly and use a paper bag. I then rinsed off my boneless chicken pieces, making sure the water was shaken off good and put each piece singly into the crumbs and shook to coat. You know, just like that fancy name-brand stuff where you shake and then bake.

I baked them at 350 degrees for about 17 minutes and they were so yummy, I was astounded. When doing my research today, I found that Mary has a website and blog. She now carries prepackaged cracker crumbs and I just may order some. In the mean time, this is an excellent replacement for that refined flour, bread crumb mess that you have been using in the past.

Try it, you just might be surprised.