my first spanakopita

I'm always looking to try a new recipe around the holidays or when I'll have family over for a big meal. This year I decided I wanted to try making spanakopita, which is Greek spinach pie.  I likely wouldn't have ever attempted making this; however, a coworker recently made it for a potluck we had at work before Christmas.   The filo pastry was flaky and buttery, the filling was rich, and overall it was just SO DELICIOUS!!!

I started searching for recipes since my coworker was on vacation and I couldn't ask for hers. (Actually, it's her grandmother's recipe.) I wanted THE authentic Greek recipe--I often agonize over this aspect when searching out a recipe and it drives me nuts--however, I quickly realized that there are so many recipes and they all purport to be "traditional" or "authentic." But like any other recipe, there are always variations and it all depends on how YOU make it. That's what makes it traditional or authentic to YOU and your family. I noticed that the difference the various recipes was the herb mix. Some used parsley only, others were a mix of parsley and dill, and others had parsley and mint. Measurements were all over the place. I found a few that called for a "bunch" of parsley and/or dill (that is A LOT of dill!), while others called for 1/2 a cup of parsley and 2 tablespoons of dill or mint. It was really frustrating to figure out which one I should use in order to get similar results to the one my coworker made. (I later found out that she used parsley only, though her mom and grandmother use parsley and fresh mint.)

I decided on this one since it seemed pretty easy, plus I didn't have to buy a bunch of special ingredients. Overall it was pretty easy, but I have to say that working with filo dough is tedious and tricky, and you have to work quickly otherwise the dough dries out before it can even make it to the pan. I used tips I found during my recipe search:  lay the dough out on a cookie sheet, cover it with a damp paper towel, cover that with plastic wrap, and work quickly!  This worked pretty well. My only issue was pulling the first piece of dough off the pile. It didn't want to come apart and it tore easily; however, it was going on the bottom of the pan so it didn't matter what it looked like. I made it through the next nine layers easily (there are 10 on the bottom, then the filling, and then another 10 layers of dough), brushing on lots of melted butter as I went along. The other trouble spot was separating the second to last piece from the last piece, and I wasn't able to save that one. Filo dough is paper-thin, though, and doesn't puff up, so I didn't notice that the finished baked product had 19 layers of dough rather than 20. Yes, spanakopita has 20 layers of filo dough!

I made the filling before pulling the dough out of the fridge. This ensures that the dough is fresh and everything is ready to go once you open the package. As I said, it dries out FAST, so you need to have everything ready before assembly. After I finished the painstaking work of layering the dough sheets, then the filling, then the remaining dough sheets, I cut it into 15 large pieces--this makes it much easier to portion out after baking.  I then baked it for about an hour and voila!

I waited until it cooled down a bit before trying it. OMG it was awesome! Rich, buttery and cheesy. My only complaint, which really isn't a complaint, is that the filling was very chunky. The one my coworker made had a very fine filling--I couldn't even tell there was feta cheese in it since it was chopped and blended so well. If I make this again, I will make sure to crumble up the feta more and put the spinach through a food processor. Even though the spinach was pre-chopped, it was a little stringy. I wish I'd thought about the food processor when I mixed everything and saw it was chunky.

It's safe to say I blew through this whole pan in a matter of days, all by myself; I basically ate it for every meal for three to four days. I just popped it into the toaster oven at 400 F for about 12 minutes.I should add that I ended up NOT making this for the family's annual "Christmas in January." The crappy weather that weekend prevented half the family from travelling. It worked out, though--more for me!! (Sorry, guys!)

Here's the finished product. Look at all that yummy feta and cottage cheese!  And here's the recipe:  Spanakopita. One change I made is to bake it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, rather than baking it in a casserole dish or baking pan. The filling really doesn't ooze out since feta doesn't melt all that much, and I found this method worked well for me.

bulgarian mish mash--my version

Tis the season for fresh garden tomatoes! 

I used to be a tomato-hater, but in recent years I've begun to like them. So much so that I now grow them in my garden every year. I've got bunch growing now and a whole bunch that are ready to be used. What to do with all these tomatoes?

It used to be that I wouldn't eat tomatoes except in pasta sauce, salsa, and ketchup. I gradually started to enjoy them in their sundried form. Then eventually I would be OK with chopped tomatoes in a taco, although there better not be any seeds or tomato slime! I then moved up to tomatoes cooked on a pizza. One day I was brave enough to try caprese salad. I still hated sliced raw tomatoes; however, the addition of mozzarella cheese made it OK. I then decided I could deal with grape tomatoes, as long as they were with the mozzarella cheese. To this day, though, I still can't bring myself to eat a sliced raw tomato.

I've settled on a few ways to use up the tomatoes. The easiest is to make fresh salsa. It's so much better than the stuff in the jar! I just throw all the ingredients in the food processor, pulse it until it's the consistency I want, and it's done. I use my own tomatoes and jalapenos to make it. I used my own cilantro this year; however, my cilantro isn't doing well so it was kind of a one shot deal. I don't think I'll grow it again.

Another thing I make is caprese salad using the cherry and grape tomatoes I grow. I'm finding that I much prefer grape tomatoes, so I'm thinking of eliminated cherry next year and just growing grape.

And then there's this delicious dish: Bulgarian mish mash. A coworker told me how to make this; however, I've discovered that there are many variations for this and everyone makes it a little different. The base doesn't change, though: tomatoes, peppers, eggs and cheese. I made this last year, but never posted about it, so I figured I would this time around because it's so delicious and easy. I like to eat it with some crusty bread or maybe some crackers. It can be eaten anytime.

This is the base recipe I used, very loosely I might add: Bulgarian Vegetarian Mish Mash

Here's how I actually made mine (this makes about 8 one-cup servings):

2 TB olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional; remove the seeds)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 oz. roasted red peppers (jar), chopped
8 tomatoes, chopped (you can peel them if you want to, but don't have to)

Fresh parsley
Fresh basil
Fresh oregano
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Pepper
4 eggs
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Salt, only if needed (be very careful how much salt you use since the feta cheese is very salty)

In a pot on medium heat, sauté onions in the olive oil until they start to soften. Reduce heat to low and add green peppers, red peppers, jalapenos (if using) and garlic. Continue sautéing for about 15 minutes or until soft.

Add the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and herbs. Cover and cook until the tomatoes break down and it looks like a stew. 

Add the eggs and stir until they dissolve into the tomato mixture. You will see pieces of egg white. This is normal. If you prefer, you can beat the eggs together before adding into the tomatoes. Feel free to add more or less to make it thinner or thicker.

Remove from the heat and add the cheese, pepper, red pepper flakes (if using) and salt, if needed.

Notes: 

1. I used fresh herbs, because I have them in my garden. I used very roughly about 2 TB of each, but add whatever you like, to taste. Used dried herbs if that's what you have; however, if using dried herbs, make sure you reduce the amount you use since the flavor is much stronger than fresh herbs.
2. You can use any hard cheese you like, but I find that feta gives it a lot more flavor. Just make sure you use a cheese that doesn't melt, otherwise it all just disappears into the mix.  The standard cheese is a Bulgarian cheese called "sirene", but I don't know if that's something readily available.
3. You can cook this to whatever consistency you like. I prefer it more like a stew, whereas my coworker likes it more chunky.

 

cinnamon baked oatmeal

So, I made this while I was on vacation a couple weeks ago:  Cinnamon Sugar Baked Oatmeal. Just click on the name to go to the recipe.

This oatmeal was so yummy and the recipe was so easy! What I liked about it was that it came out more like an oatmeal bar. I'm thinking I could add raisins and pass them off as actual oatmeal bars. Yup, I think I need to try that!

I also liked that it calls for only one banana, as opposed to the three bananas in this recipe I made awhile back for peanut butter brownie oatmeal.  There are times when I forget I'm saving the bananas for a reason and then I end up eating them. So, I'm left with one overripe banana. What does one do with just one overripe, mushy banana? Make this recipe, of course. :)

If sugar is an issue for you, just omit the cinnamon sugar topping. Or you could use an artificial sweetener that scoops like sugar. I kept the real sugar, but was careful to test the waters before eating a bigger piece. The oatmeal itself has only one banana and 1/4 cup of brown sugar, so it has a bit less sugar that the peanut butter brownie oatmeal recipe, which uses three bananas. You could even sub in a different milk, like nut milk that's unsweetened, for even less sugar. I used whole milk this time around, but next time I might use my Fairlife milk, which is half the sugar of regular milk.

So, what baked oatmeal recipe should I make next? I'm thinking something with blueberries, since I have a bunch of fresh blueberries in the freezer. I've also got some unsweetened coconut in the fridge. I have cocoa powder galore. Maybe another batch using the cocoa and coconut. I'm sure if I scour the cabinets and freezer enough I'll find lots more that I can whip into a batch of baked oatmeal!

baked oatmeal: a newfound love

Never in my life had I heard of baking oatmeal until I started following Budget Bytes. I follow her on Facebook, as well as browsing her website from time to time. She has lots of budget-friendly recipes.

A couple weeks ago I saw on her Facebook page a recipe for what looked like a dessert:  Peanut Butter Brownie Baked Oatmeal.  It looked so delicious! I figured it would be loaded with sugar, but it called for only 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  She has lots of baked oatmeal recipes and most of them use bananas, unsweetened applesauce, or sweet potatoes as the main source of sweetness.

I decided to give it a try since I had all the ingredients on hand and I'd just bought a massive bag of thick-cut rolled oats.  It was really easy to put together. I think the most "strenuous" thing was mashing the bananas, and that only took a minute. The rest just gets tossed into the bowl and mixed, then milk added, then oats. Then you put it in a casserole dish and bake it for about 45 minutes. Baking time depends on the depth of your pan. I used a 2 quart smallish square dish and it took almost an hour to bake.

The results were delicious!! I tried a forkful right out of the hot pan; however, I've discovered I prefer it cold, sliced off like a brownie. The texture is much more like a brownie than it is oatmeal, though you could eat it warm or cold.  It's also very filling, especially for me since my stomach in so small.

One thing to note:  even though most of the sweetness comes from the bananas, it still has sugar. Anyone who is a WLS post-op and has an issue with sugar will need to test the waters as to how much you can eat at once. I find a can eat the standard brownie size, about 2" x 2", without an issue. (Note:  standard brownie size! Not pre-WLS brownie size, which typically meant almost half the pan back in the day.) 

Here's the recipe for the oatmeal I made last weekend:  Peanut Butter Brownie Baked Oatmeal.

And here are the search results for baked oatmeal:  Baked Oatmeal Search Results.

today's breakfast: fried egg on grain toast

As I've mentioned in a couple other posts, I'm really struggling with eating right and not overeating lately. Mostly due to my mindset after surgery, but also due to several losses and other things going on. I've made up my mind that I have to just suck it up and do it, and stop whining about it.  I'm an adult, I can do this.

So, today's breakfast, which is basically my favorite and is very quick and easy, is a fried egg plus one egg white on buttered grain toast. The grocery store had Arnold bread buy-one-get-free, so I grabbed a loaf of Extra Grainy. It makes great toast and grilled cheese, although I try to not make grilled cheese very often--it's very caloric and full of carbs.

As part of getting myself back in the "eating right" mindset, I made a promise to myself that I would not buy any candy while out shopping today. Lately I've been buying peanut M&Ms or Justin's Peanut Butter Cups (these are much better than Reese's--you can get them in dark chocolate, they have a lot less sugar and they just taste better) just about every time I go to a store that has a candy rack.  Not a good thing. I'm happy to say that I went out today and didn't buy any candy AT ALL! I did, however, make a few impulse purchases, but it wasn't junk food.

I'll probably take it easy most of the day, as I'm recovering from some awful lower back pain. I had multiple muscle spasms last Monday and my back is still hurting. But today I can actually walk around without much pain. Most of the week it was a struggle just to carry myself upright. I couldn't work out, because I couldn't walk on the treadmill for more than 10 minutes, and even that was a big struggle. Muscle relaxers, Tylenol, Advil, and even dilaudid (narcotic) didn't help the pain. Dilaudid took the edge off, but that was really it. Last night I pulled out the heating pad. Maybe that's why I feel a little better today. Hopefully I can get back to working out this week.

another attempt at baking powder biscuits

My last attempt at making baking powder biscuits didn't go so well, mainly because I hadn't checked the expiration date of the baking powder; apparently, you need to do that. The biscuits came out very flat. They tasted like they're were supposed it, but they definitely didn't look like a proper biscuit.

I tried again this week, using fresh baking powder. While they rose higher, they were tough. I think I over mixed or over kneaded the dough. They tasted OK, though. The toughness didn't matter in this case, because I also made sausage gravy, which was poured over them to make biscuits and gravy.

I'll have to try again, maybe this weekend. Hopefully the third time is the charm.



weekly cookbook project: baking powder biscuits

So, apparently this is what you get when you don't check the expiration date on the baking powder:  very flat biscuits.

Today is my 21st wedding anniversary and I wanted something quick and easy to make, and something I've never made before, so I decided to make biscuits from my Betty Crocker Best of Baking cookbook. I had all the ingredients and I'd fulfill my goal of cooking one recipe per week from my cookbook collection. The plan was to use these to make a nice anniversary breakfast for Bob and I. Maybe some scrambled eggs over biscuits with sausage and gravy.

I started making them and had all the ingredients in the bowl before I decided to check the date on the baking powder. When I did, I realized that can had been in the cabinet for...awhile. Now, baking powder doesn't really go bad, but it loses it's power to make baked goods rise. As you can see from the photo, it definitely lost it.

The biscuits were very easy and quick; however, they took longer than the recommended 10-12 minutes to brown; it was more like 15 minutes. They tasted great, just like biscuits should, and were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, but they were really flat.

I had visions of sausage, egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches, as well as the biscuits and sausage gravy, but it wasn't meant to be. I ended up serving them along side a chili cheese omelet and sausage for Bob. I had one while I was making my breakfast--one fried whole egg.one egg white, and one turkey sausage link. The biscuit clocked in at 63 calories and was very filling. Add the butter and it was about 110 calories. That's a lot when you're eating only 1,200 calories. So, I plan to try very hard to not touch them.

Lesson learned:  check the expiration date on your baking ingredients--it matters!

today's breakfast

I'm happy to say I'm 100% on track with eating AND exercise this week. I'm sticking with 1,200 calories per day, and that's not a lot of food. Even for someone that's had weight loss surgery. In order to feel like I have more food, I've cut out my delicious beloved homemade iced mocha latte I was drinking each morning. For now I' going to allow myself to have it once or twice per week. But once I'm done with surgery and it's time to maintain my weight, I plan to go back to them. At that point I'll be allowed about 2,000 calories and can afford it calorie-wise.

So, anyway, here's today's breakfast which is 195 calories (the same as my latte!).  It's half of a Fiber One 12 Grain Sandwich Thin--toasted--with an ounce of herbed goat cheese and a hard-boiled egg. Very yummy and something different; I'm usually eating a Greek yogurt with dry roasted peanuts mixed in, or a couple hard-boiled eggs.

Note:  This picture was taken and then uploaded with my phone, so it's dark and also upside down. :)

weekly cookbook project: apple maple oatmeal; pot roast

I've kept up with my goal to make recipe per week from my cookbooks; however, I forgot to take pictures of two recipes I made recently.

Last week I made apple maple oatmeal from my Great Big Pressure Cooker Book. It was simply steel-cut oats, water, maple syrup, cinnamon and dried apples. Maple syrup took care of the sweetness, so no sugar was added. Dried apples were necessary, rather than fresh, so they stand up to being pressure cooked. It was good, but if I make it again I'd either add less water or more oatmeal; it was too soupy for us.

A couple weeks ago I made a pot roast from the same book (can you tell I like my Instant Pot??). It was a beef roast, beef stock, rosemary, bay leaf, onions, potatoes and carrots. All I had to do after pressure cooking was thicken the gravy and it was ready. I really liked this pot roast. In fact, I may not use my old standby recipe anymore:  pot roast in the slow cooker made with Lipton Onion Soup mix. What was nice about using the pressure cooking function vs. slow cooking was that the meat stayed intact. In the slow cooker it totally falls apart and becomes more like a beef stew. Pressure cooking makes the meat very tender, but it basically stays in one piece so you can slice it. It's good either way.  It depends on what your preference is.

I haven't decided what I'll make this week yet. Although, our anniversary is at the end of the week so maybe I'll find a special recipe for our anniversary dinner.

biscuits and sausage gravy

I went to the grocery store Friday night after working out with my trainer. Bob was working a double shift and wouldn't be home until midnight, and since I'd done really well with eating during the week I didn't want to risk blowing it by sitting home alone watching TV and having time alone with the food in the kitchen. I've come to realize that my urges to eat are strongest when he's not home, or when I think he can't see or hear me in the other room. So, I hit the grocery store. I've found that I like going grocery shopping. As I've said before, I really enjoy looking at and shopping for food. So many possibilities.  And I wanted to buy some fruits and veggies anyway. I ate more of those this week, and it seems to have helped. I didn't eat nearly as much processed crap. I bought bananas, fresh green beans, celery for snacking, and a bunch of those frozen veggie steam packs, the ones with the sauce. I normally don't like frozen veggies, but they now make a lot of different combinations with sauce and some with rice or quinoa. I looked at the calorie content and I can basically eat the whole package for about 150 calories. Toss in some chicken and I have a full meal. Best part?  They were only $1.00 each. I also bought some biscuits for the purpose of making biscuits and sausage gravy for Bob Saturday morning.

When I went to go make the sausage gravy, I realized I didn't buy the sausage. But I improvised, of course. It called for bulk breakfast sausage, but I used maple flavored pork sausage links that I had in the freezer. Not the fully cooked brown and serve kind, but the raw kind that has to be fully cooked. After cooking I tossed the links in the food processor to grind them up and it came out the perfect consistency. I then stirred in 1/4 cup of flour and 2 1/2 cups of milk, let it come to a boil while stirring and let it thicken a bit. That's it. I put the toasted biscuit halves on the plate, topped each with a sausage patty, scrambled eggs and gravy.

This is Bob's plate:  3 biscuit halves, each topped with a maple sausage patty, scrambled eggs and sausage gravy. He wasn't able to finish it.

And this is mine:  half a light multi-grain English muffin, one scrambled egg and some sausage gravy. Mine is on a salad plate and Bob's is on a dinner plate. I couldn't finish mine. Although, that could be because I took a taste of his breakfast before I gave it to him. Had to make sure it wasn't poison...

This is what I woke up to Saturday morning.  It was a rare moment of Marty being still, so I grabbed my phone and took a pic.

today's breakfast

Well, actually Friday's breakfast. But who's keeping track?

I went to Stew Leonard's Wednesday night and bought some of their awesome 9 Grain Bread. It makes the best grilled cheese. Although it's not very often I eat that anymore.  Nowadays I buy it maybe once a year and usually use it for toast or as a base for an egg and cheese open-faced sandwich.  That's what I did Friday morning since I had the day off from work.

I just toasted a slice of bread, added some goat cheese and a couple slices of tomato (tomato is courtesy of a co-worker's garden), and then topped it with a fried egg. It took some extra time because I toasted the bread first--I didn't want it to be soggy.  Then I added the goat cheese and tomato and put it under the broiler. Once that was done, the egg went on top along with a ton of cracked pepper and a little salt.

It was delicious, but messy.  Juicy tomatoes and runny egg yolk.  This is a fork-and-knife kind of breakfast.

beef taco egg muffins

We had tacos last week, so I had a bunch of stuff in the fridge to use up. What better way than to make egg muffins?  You can throw pretty much anything in these and they'll come out great.  They freeze well, too. (Actually, Bob had tacos.  I threw some tortilla chips in a bowl and topped them with the taco ingredients.)

Beef Taco Egg Muffins

Ingredients

8 oz. leftover taco beef (if yours has some liquid in it, make sure you don't put that in, as it will make the egg muffins soggy)
1/2 a medium onion, diced
3 Scallions, sliced
8 Eggs
1/4 Cup milk
1/4 Cup diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and milk.  Mix meat, tomatoes, scallions, and salt and pepper into the eggs.  You can mix the cheese into the eggs, or you can put it on top of each muffin before baking, Your choice.
3. Pour mixture into muffin tin.  Bake for 25 minutes.
4. Pop them out of the pan within 10 minutes so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

You can top these with some sour cream and salsa if you want to.

These taste best when warm from the oven, but they will chill or freeze and reheat just fine for at least 4 to 5 days.  If using the microwave to reheat, use 60% power so they don't turn out rubbery or hard around the edges.  100% power might kill them.

Note:  If you've seen my other egg muffin recipes, you'll note that I always cook the veggies before I mix them with the eggs.  Typically you should to release the water from the veggies.  That way your eggs don't get soggy. In this case I didn't because I was being lazy and didn't feel like it. They came out fine, though.

baked egg boats

Whenever Bob goes camping, like this weekend, I usually make a special breakfast for when he gets home on Sunday.  He usually stops for a fast food breakfast, but I like to make something to offset all the burgers and hot dogs he eats while he's gone.  I don't mean I'm trying to offset the calories.  Just making something a little more substantial, like a treat.

While scrolling through Facebook this weekend I found a recipe for baked egg boats.  It looked very quick and easy.  The recipe called for several items I don't have, like pancetta, heavy cream, baguettes, and Gruyere cheese, so I improvised. (OK, so basically I didn't have ANY of the items except the salt, pepper, and eggs.) No need to run out and buy stuff you'll only use once. And, honestly, you can use any ingredients you want here.  Just pre-cook any veggies you use, since they tend to release water upon cooking.

Here's the original recipe:  Baked Egg Boats

Here's my version. It's not a weight loss surgery-friendly recipe, since I wasn't making it for myself.

Baked Egg Boats

Ingredients

4 grinder rolls (long sandwich rolls--everyone calls these something different, depending where you live)
5 eggs
1/3 cup half & half (or milk)
8 breakfast sausgages, sliced
3 ounces shredded sharp cheddar (use any cheese you like, as much as you like)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut a deep “V” through the tops of each roll. Don't cut through the bottom, and make sure you leave the ends intact so the eggs don't run out.  You want a nice dam to hold it all in. Partially unstuff the rolls. Set aside.
3. Place the eggs and half & half or milk into a mixing bowl and lightly beat together. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and lightly season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide and pour the mixture into each roll and place onto a baking sheet. Top with more cheese if you like.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and set in the center. Season with salt and pepper. Note:  I baked mine for 35 minutes, and I still had one that wasn't cooked all the way. You'll have to watch and test for doneness.
6. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Note:  Don't throw away the "Vs" you cut out of the rolls. Toast them in the toaster oven and slather with butter.  It will hold you over until the egg boats are done.  I wouldn't want anyone to starve!

today's breakfast: spanish fried egg

This morning I was looking for information about how to fry an egg in butter without the grease splattering everywhere.  It seems I get a lot of violent splatters every time I fry an egg and it can be a little scary sometimes.  And painful!  I figured it had something to do with the water in the butter, and I was right.  But the general consensus seems to be that there's nothing you can do to stop the splatters.  So, I gave up.

During my hunt for information I came across an article on theKitchn.com (love this website!) and it talked about Spanish-style fried eggs.  Basically, it's a fried egg, but you fry it in olive oil instead of butter; however, it's fried at a higher temperature, which cooks the egg quickly.

I used my small cast iron frying pan and filled it with enough olive oil to cover the bottom and then set it over medium heat.  It took a couple minutes, which I used to butter a piece of toast.  I flicked a tiny bit of water into the pan and it started to sizzle, which meant it was ready.  I cracked an egg into a mug and then put it into the pan. I don't usually do that, but I didn't want to chance any splatters of screaming hot oil.  It immediately started to fry.  I tilted the pan and spooned the hot oil over the egg. This isn't a fried egg that gets flipped over; the hot oil spooned over it cooks it just right.  When the top was cooked and the edges browned, it was ready.  I scooped it out and put it on a paper towel for a minute to absorb some of the oil. I then put it on top of my toast.

The process was easy and the white was nice and crunchy around the edges; however, I don't think I would use this as my default method for frying an egg.  It tasted good, but to me it's just easier to fry it the usual way.

Here's the article in case you want to read about this method:

why is vacation scary?

 

My poppies are blooming!

I'm at the tail end of my vacation from work. Vacation was scary for me this time around.  Normally I live for vacation from work.  I typically plan out my weeks as soon as possible, regardless of whether I'm going somewhere or not.  Months in advance, I'm thinking about what I want to do while on vacation.  When I was a kid waiting for summer vacation to come along, I always envisioned the weeks and months stretched out ahead of me, so full of promise.  I'm the same way when planning vacation from work.  And as soon as I return to work, I'm thinking about the next vacation.  I was looking forward to it this time around, but not as much as usual.

Saw this little guy in my tree yesterday.  

Apparently there are several squirrels living in my tree.

I had no plans on going anywhere, which meant I'd be home by myself all week until Bob gets home from work. Which also meant I'd have to keep busy, as I typically eat out of boredom, and because I'd be home alone with full cabinets, fridge and freezers. (This is historically a Bad Thing for me.)  There were several days I would be pretty busy due to doctor appointments, my training sessions, a visit from my sister, and other things going on. But that left me with several days where I'd be "on my own," so to speak.  Meaning, nothing to occupy me and I'd have to deal with it as best I can.

I made this breakfast twice.  I toasted the heel of the bread loaf, 

put some goat cheese on it, then topped with a fried egg and some leftover 

pesto I found in the fridge. 

It went...OK.  I would say that Monday and Thursday were my best days.  Monday I was busy with...I don't remember what. LOL.  Thursday I was busy cleaning my house.  Tuesday was tough because I had nothing planned, so I sat around watching TV and wanting to eat.  Wednesday I had several things in the morning, but I found myself wanting to buy food; I was in a department store that sells specialty food items, which is like a giant magnet for me.  Friday wasn't bad, because my sister came down to visit and I was busy during the day.  Yesterday was tough.  Although I went to Ikea for several hours (at least I got in some walking!), I spent most of the night watching TV and wanting to eat, which I did.  One issue this weekend was the extra piece of cheesecake I bought for my husband on his birthday.  He ate one slice, but the other one was still in the fridge.  And it was covered with cannoli cream and crumbled cannoli shells. And it was NY style, which is my favorite. Basically, I took two or three bites of it several times a day and it's now gone. (Sorry, dear!)  

Here's a breakfast pizza. It's a Fiber One tortilla topped with goat cheese, 

pesto sauce, and an egg.  I cracked the egg on top and then baked the whole thing 

for about 12 minutes on 400 degrees.

I wish I could say I tackled the weeding in the garden, or that I did some other project I've been meaning to get to.  But no.  One would think that having a week off would motivate me to do those things, but really it just makes me want to relax and do nothing. But that's really what vacation is for, right? I did make the kale chips I planned on making, though!

Cat TV.  These guys loved watching the bird feeder.  

Tiffany is on the left, Bailey in the middle and Max on the right.

I'm looking forward to going back to work just so I'll have some structure again.  Vacation wasn't quite as scary as I thought it would be, but was still a bit scary.  The next one isn't until October, so I have a bit of time to work on it.

happy mother's day!

I'm not mom to any humans, but I'm mom to my kitties.  I was hoping they would make me breakfast in bed, or maybe clean their own litter boxes, but that didn't happen.  Because cats.  I'm just happy they didn't leave any "gifts" in the house for me to step in.  That's about all a cat mom can hope for really.

I made my own breakfast:  a one-egg omelet with herbed goat cheese and a veggie sausage patty (doesn't it look pretty?!).  I had Lipton tea, too.  (BEFORE breakfast, not with it!) I usually don't drink tea at home, but I figured I'd treat myself today.  Plus, it helps me get more water in. (For work I buy flavored teas, such as cocoa coconut, chocolate peppermint, and vanilla almond.  It really helps when I'm feeling the head hunger at work.) Bob got a three-egg Swiss cheese omelet, sausage patties and hash brown patties.

I did some laundry and then we took a trip to Cabela's.  I was looking for a travel alarm clock, since my one from LL Bean finally died, but I didn't find anything.  I did, however, buy a thin fleece jacket, which was less than half price. Then we stopped at Stew Leonard's for eggs.  They sell an 18-pack of extra large eggs for $1.99, which is super cheap; I bought four packs!  I'll use them for hard-boiled eggs, egg muffins and Bob's breakfast.

The sun has FINALLY come out, so I'm headed outside in a bit to do my exercise routine.  So glad I don't have to do it in the rain!  And seeing the sun after a week straight of rain is motivating me to get moving.

Happy Mother's Day!!

today's breakfast

When I went to New Hampshire for Easter, I stopped at a store on the way and picked up some fresh maple breakfast sausage and fresh Polish kielbasa.  I'm not sure whether to call it a convenience store, since there's a gas station there, too, or whether it's a county store.  Anyway, they make a lot of foods from scratch, like pies and pastries, and they also have deli-type foods, like sandwiches and salads.  Pizza, chicken and burgers, too. When I stopped this time, I discovered they sell meat and freshly made sausages and kielbasa. Of course, I had to buy some.

I made the maple breakfast sausage today. Look how big these links are!!  I couldn't eat all this.  I had the egg, two bites of sausage and about half the toast.  The sausage was good and reminded me of the sausage at my favorite diner back home.  That said, I'm not really a sausage person anymore since surgery.  It just seems too greasy for me.  I actually prefer the vegetarian sausages these days, or turkey or chicken sausage. This was good for a rare treat, though, and it actually wasn't greasy at all.

today's breakfast and lunch

Today I ate something I almost never eat anymore:  salad.  I very rarely eat it nowadays, for several reasons.  

1. I ate tons of it when I followed the Medifast program.
2. I ate tons of it in the two weeks leading up to the weight loss surgery.
3. It's a waste to order it as a meal at a restaurant, because the leftovers tend to get soggy really fast.
4. I prefer when someone else makes the salad.  It just tastes better for some reason.

So, yeah, I'm not big on salads anymore.  The only reason I took salad today was because I had Perdue Shortcuts chicken breast in the fridge, and I got a bag of salad free from the grocery store this past weekend.  My salad consisted of lettuce, onions, ham, chicken and feta cheese.  I topped it with Italian dressing.  

Breakfast was the usual Greek yogurt with dry roasted peanuts mixed in.

Snacks were celery and Sriracha hummus (fiery!), aged cheddar cheese, and green grapes.

today's breakfast and lunch

I haven't posted this in a while, so figured I would do so today.  I'm trying to get back on track so maybe this will make me a little more accountable.

 

I've been eating a lot of junk lately and it shows on the scale.  I haven't gained much at all, but I sure feel like I have.  It's amazing how I now feel just a few pounds the same way I felt a 30 pound gain before the surgery.  I guess I've finally gotten used to my new body.

 

Today for breakfast was the usual Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt, my favorite, with an ounce of dry roasted peanuts. 

 

Lunch was 1/2 cup of Perdue Shortcuts Honey Roasted Chicken. 

 

Snack was 3 ounces of green seedless grapes, an ounce of Colby Jack cheese, and an ounce of Wheat Things Toasted Pita Chips (not shown here).  Some of it was eaten as a snack throughout the morning, and some of it was eaten with the chicken.

 

I'm definitely having a tough time with wanting to snack a lot today.  I've been snacking so often, I've gotten used to it.  I'll just have to ride out the cravings for a few days and then I'll be fine.

 

today's breakfast and lunch

Over the weekend I bought some hummus from Whole Foods. It's lemon flavored.  It's so good! Very garlicky and lemony, but not overpowering. And what's nice is that there are very few ingredients.  Nothing I couldn't pronounce.  It was only $2.99 for an 8 ounce container. 

Breakfast was slightly more than half a cup of cottage cheese, which I mixed with some Equal, dry roasted peanuts and raw coconut. 

Lunch was caprese salad. I bought the marinated mozzarella from the Stop & Shop olive bar and a container of grape tomatoes and just mixed the two. I also had a hard boiled egg.

Snack was celery and the lemon hummus.