Beef Spinach Hot Dish

½ lb. cooked roast, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the mushrooms, salt, oregano and pepper. Add the spinach, soup and sour cream. Stir in half of the mozzarella cheese.

Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Comment:  The original recipe called for ground beef but I had left over roast from the day before and decided to use it.  I did decrease the amount of cheese to 1 cup instead of 2.  And since the roast was already cooked I weighed what I had and came up with around 1/2 lb. where as the original called for 1 lb. uncooked.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 229
Total Fat 16 g	25 %
Saturated Fat 9 g	44 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 221 mg	74 %
Sodium 7138 mg	297 %
Potassium 198 mg	6 %
Total Carbohydrate 7 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	5 %
Sugars 2 g
Protein 14 g	27 %
Vitamin A	34 %
Vitamin C	7 %
Calcium	17 %
Iron	6 %

Too Few Calories!

So, how did I do Thanksgiving Day?  I didn't cook the traditional meal but that was ok because I'm not a big turkey fan.  I would have loved some dressing and gravy but I knew that at this point in my diet I would have overeaten so I settled for a roast instead. 

As you can see from my listings below I didn't do exactly too good.  I didn't over do it but under did it.  The 1st col. shows my calories for the day.  The 2nd shows my carbs which were a little low.  The 3rd shows my fat.  And the 4th shows my protein which was within range.  But... if you look at my readings before the power drink you'll see I was way behind in just about everything.

I normally drink a meal replacement which only has about 10 protein but when I saw how low my readings were I choose to drink one with a bit more. 

As I said, I'm not balancing my meals very well.  This is something I need to really work on. My biggest problem is that I'm simply not hungry.  I drink a lot of water and it keeps me full so I fill up easily with what I do eat.   I meet with the dietitian Tuesday so hopefully they can get me on a better track. 

Home - Coffee W/Cream - 2 Cups, 3 tbs	58	0g	5g	1g
Lunch
Mixed Green Salad - Field Greens, 110 grams	50	6g	1g	4g
Cheese, cheddar, 1 oz	115	0g	10g	7g
Ken's - Asian Sesame Dressing, 2 tbsp	70	8g	4g	1g
Croutons, seasoned, 0.5 oz	66	9g	3g	2g
Dinner
Roast - Roast, 4 oz	130	0g	5g	20g
Mixed Green Salad - Field Greens, 55 grams	25	3g	1g	2g
Kraft light ranch dressing - Dressing, 2 tbl	70	7g	5g	0g
Snacks
Core Power Elite - Protein Shake Vanilla, 14 fl oz	240	10g	4g	42g
TOTAL:	824	43g	38g	79g

Smoked Gouda-Broccoli Soup

1½ pounds broccoli crowns (2 medium)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Coarsely chop the broccoli into small pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add flour and paprika; stir to coat. Add broth and the chopped broccoli. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Using a potato masher with small holes, mash the mixture.  Add cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly until it melts before adding more. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Serve hot, topped with the croutons.

Serves 4

(I did add croutons that I made earlier.  They equaled 1 slice of bread still keeping me within my calories/carbs/protein limits)

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 285
Total Fat 18 g	27 %
Saturated Fat 9 g	43 %
Monounsaturated Fat 5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 23 mg	8 %
Sodium 1624 mg	68 %
Potassium 6 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 16 g	5 %
Dietary Fiber 7 g	27 %
Sugars 2 g
Protein 18 g	36 %
Vitamin A	115 %
Vitamin C	379 %

Green Giant Mashed Cauliflower Cheddar & Bacon

Mashed cauliflower has become the next best thing to mashed potatoes, or so I've heard.  I love mashed potatoes.  I love them plain, with cheese, bacon, onions, just about anything you can add to them, but now that I'm on a diet I know they aren't there with me.  Let me reword that.  I have plenty of them still with me - in my rump, in my legs, in my arms, everywhere their calories and carbs could find a place to store themselves.  But now I know that I have to leave them in the bag, on the shelf or better yet, at the grocery store.  Not on my plate.

So, I went to the grocery store looking for that miracle food that will keep me from missing my mashed potatoes.  The only package I found was Green Giant Mashed Cauliflower Cheddar & Bacon.  Sounded pretty good but would it taste good.  I like cauliflower - roasted, soup, raw - but how would that slightly distinctive taste make me think I was eating potatoes.  I'm here to tell you honestly, it didn't.  It had a slight cauliflower taste with the cheddar and bacon covering up most of it and it was thin like soupy mashed potatoes.

BUT - I liked it!  It has possibilities.  Yes the cheddar and bacon did cover up the flavor but it also gave it a tasty flavor.  The thinness even had it's good points.  It would make a tasty soup that is thick enough to not need crackers.  This dish was satisfying enough that I can and will use it in place of my potatoes.  In fact, I'm going to look for recipes to make my own and possibly even find a way to make it thicker than the Green Giant.

One half a cup is considered a serving and gives me 90 calories, 6 carbs and 4 proteins.  All very much within my limits and making it a dish I recommend you try for yourself.

Eating Out at Captain D's

Sometimes you find yourself out and about and hungry.  I went out shopping with a friend, leaving around 11:00 a.m.  We found ourselves getting ready to go home around 1:00 and since we had missed lunch we were hungry.  Very hungry!

She was driving so I decided to go wherever she wanted to eat and look over the menu coming up with the best meal I could without going over my cals, carbs and protein.  We went to one of my favorite places - Captain D's.  I love their fish!  I know - it has breading.  I ended up ordering 2 pieces of fish and slaw.  I had them eliminate the fries, which didn't bother me because I'm not that big of a fry fan.  But they did put 2 hushpuppies on my plate.  So tempting!  And I drank my usual - water.

I ate both pieces of fish after soaking them with the beloved Malt Vinegar, half my slaw, and yes -one hushpuppy.

When I got home I went straight to MyFitnessPal to see how bad I had done.  I couldn't believe it.  These were my results for what I ate.

2 pieces of fish - 360 cal., 4 carbs, 50 protein
slaw - 90 cal., 8 carbs, 1 protein
1 hushpuppy - 80 cal., 9 carbs, 1 protein

For a total of 530 calories, 21 carbs, and 52 protein

Not too bad for eating out.  I did go over my carbs of about 20 per meal, as well as my 30 per meal of the protein.  I'll just have to adjust this with my dinner.  I think I'll eliminate my protein drink.

So, this just goes to show that you can eat out, you just have to be very careful with what you eat.

Meal Replacement Shakes

My weight doctor suggested that since I normally only eat two meals a day that I make up that 3rd one by drinking a Meal Replacement Shake.  I've never really liked this type of drink but to keep my calories, protein and carbs in check I decided to give it a try.

I went to Walmart and found their Equate brand, which is listed as a Meal Replacement Shake.  The price was great compared to many others.  They were just over $5.00 for 6 11 oz. bottles.  They came in chocolate, strawberry and French vanilla.  I'm not a chocolate lover and was afraid the strawberry would taste artificial and even if it did taste good I would probably get tired of the same flavor every day.  So, I bought the French vanilla.

I bought 2 packs and when I got home I put one in the refrigerator and was putting the other on a shelf in the kitchen.  That is when I spotted my flavorings.  I have coconut, black walnut, maple, and even bourbon, just to name a few.  Then it hit me.  What if I added just a little flavoring to my shake.  Well, I'll tell you what happened!  I've had a different flavor every day.  I even added a little orange flavoring one day and it taste like the Dream Cycles I used to eat as a kid.  I tried the maple and it's delicious.  I used the Bourbon flavoring and boy was it good, as was the coconut.  AND since it's the holidays I'm going to try a pinch of nutmeg so I can have my eggnog without feeling guilty.

Try it, you'll like it!

Spinach Omelet

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
2 cups fresh spinach
3 eggs
1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Spray an ovenproof 10" skillet with non-stick spray.  Place the onions, peppers and spinach into the skillet and cook covered on med. low heat until spinach, onions and peppers are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Mash with a fork to blend flavors and spread evenly over bottom of skillet.  In a blender or food processor combine the eggs and cottage cheese.  Blend until completely mixed and cottage cheese is no longer lumpy.  Pour over spinach mixture.  Place back onto burner, cover and cook until the egg mixture has set, about 10 minutes depending on your type of skillet.  Remove from heat.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and place under the broiler until the cheese melts.

This recipe originally called for zucchini and tomatoes.  I'm not a big fan of either so I made a few changes letting it fit my own taste and still kept it within my calorie/protein/carb limits.  This turned out delicious!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 313
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 20 g	31 %
Saturated Fat 10 g	51 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 330 mg	110 %
Sodium 497 mg	21 %
Potassium 365 mg	10 %
Total Carbohydrate 8 g	3 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	8 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 24 g	48 %
Vitamin A	73 %
Vitamin C	16 %
Calcium	32 %
Iron	14 %

Why We Gain Weight After Age 40

This information came from a site called verywell and it helped me understand my weight and why it's in the condition it is today.  Go to the link above and find even more helpful information on weight gain after 40.

The big question is, why do we start gaining weight after 40?  There are a multitude of reasons, some of the genetic, some of it the natural course of things and some that are due to lifestyle choices.

The four most important contributors to weight gain include:

Hormones: One of the main culprits for weight gain is, of course, our hormones, which start to change right around the mid-30s and into the 40s. This change in hormones, less estrogen for women and less testosterone for men, causes the fat in our bodies fat to shift to the middle of the body while abandoning other areas of the body you could care less about. That's one reason you may get a little fluffier around the middle while other parts of you actually get smaller.

(Oh Yes!  I can relate to this.  My middle section sometimes looks like I’m pregnant and at age of 68, I can’t see that being the problem.) 

Heredity:  Scientists have found the specific genes that determine how many fat cells we have and where they're stored. This is something we can't really change and, if you look at your parents and relatives, you'll see those areas where your family may tend to store excess fat. 

(This one is apparently not my problem.  In my mind I pictures my relatives and most of them weren’t that overweight.)

Lower Metabolism: There are a couple of things that happen to your metabolism after the age of 40.  First, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) decreases and, second, you expend less total energy (TEE) during exercise. Some experts suggest metabolism can decrease  by about 5% for every decade after 40, which means you need about 60-100 fewer calories every 10 years. If you sit more, eat more, exercise less and deal with more stress throughout that decade, you'll probably need even fewer calories than that. Add that to the fact that you burn fewer calories during exercise and you've got yourself an equation for weight gain.

(I was afraid that bad word ‘Exercise’ would start popping up!  Well, I’m going to work on that at a good pace without, hopefully, stressing out my muscles too much.)

Loss of muscle:  Like our metabolisms, we also start to lose muscle when we hit our 40s, experiencing a steady decline each decade. Part of this, scientists believe, is that the motor units that make up our muscles decline as we age and that those motor units don't always fire with the same regularity. However, the important takeaway here is this: The biggest factor in losing muscle is the lack of physical activity, which makes exercise a crucial component when it comes to preventing muscle loss.

(That word again!  Guess there is no way of getting around the fact that we all need to exercise no matter our age.  And if you’re still young, start now so your body will become accustomed to it and won’t fight back like it seems to do when you get older.)

Easy Chicken and Broccoli Soup

2 cup, Chicken Broth

6 oz, Chicken, shredded

½ small onion, chopped

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped

¼ cup half and half

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan combine broth, chicken, onion and broccoli.  Over medium heat, cook until the broccoli is tender.  Using a potato masher, smash the broccoli.  Add half and half, cheese, salt and pepper.  Serves 2 - large servings!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 312
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14 g	21 %
Saturated Fat 8 g	38 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 95 mg	32 %
Sodium 300 mg	12 %
Potassium 463 mg	13 %
Total Carbohydrate 11 g	4 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	14 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 31 g	63 %
Vitamin A	27 %
Vitamin C	214 %
Calcium	26 %
Iron	8 %

Walking Advise

This little note is to let you know how my walking is going.

Yesterday (11/14/2017) I walked for 1 mile.  The first .25 of the mile I walked fast and I noticed my back was killing me.  I slowed down and was able to comfortably finish my walk.  Today I walked the mile at a slower pace.  My back hurt just slightly but quit hurting after got home and sat down for a few minutes.  This proves to me that taking it at my own pace is the best way.  If I had continued and tried to do a fast walk the full mile I have no doubt that I would have put off walking today.  I would probably have decided to give it a rest and who knows when, nor when I would have started back.

So, my advise for walking is to take it slow and build your speed as you feel comfortable.  You didn't gain all your weight overnight so don't try to walk it off in one day.

Cauliflower Steak

4 slices (1-1/2" thick) cauliflower
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly rub the olive oil over both sides of the cauliflower 'steaks'.  Sprinkle with the minced garlic.  Bake 10 minutes, turn over and bake another 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Serves 2

Comments:  I actually cooked mine in the Air Fryer.  I've never been a really big cauliflower lover but this dish is the best!  I ate it with 1/2 cup of 2% cottage cheese topped with 2 slices of canned pears.  It was simply delicious!  (The Nutrition Facts below include the cottage cheese and pears)

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 278
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12 g	19 %
Saturated Fat 5 g	26 %
Monounsaturated Fat 5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 26 mg	9 %
Sodium 628 mg	26 %
Potassium 758 mg	22 %
Total Carbohydrate 19 g	6 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g	22 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 24 g	47 %
Vitamin A	6 %
Vitamin C	156 %
Calcium	24 %
Iron	6 %

That Bad Word - Exercise!

I went to the Weight Center yesterday to meet with the physical fitness person.  We all know what that meeting was about.  She wanted to get me on an exercise routine.  UGH!  I'm already walking everyday so why do I need to add more stress to my body.  Well, when losing weight we all know that dieting and exercise go hand in hand.

But.... this is what I decided to do.  This is a long-term program for me so I've decided to take it slowly.  Doctors have our best interest in mind but what they may not think about is that if a program is too much it won't last long.  They put us on a diet, which in itself is hard but when you add the exercise to it, we kind of give up and say to 'H' with it.  I've decided that the best way to stick with the combination is to take it slowly.  One step at a time, not everything all at once.  Here is what I've come up with and I really believe it will work for me and hopefully for anyone else that gives it a try.

Yesterday while meeting with the fitness instructor she showed me how to use the 'bands' which are so popular right now.  They do make exercising a bit easier, especially if you have back problems.  We did one set of 6 poses.  Wasn't that hard and I have no doubts that I can follow them and even increase as needed.  At least that is the way I thought until I woke up this morning.  I'm sore!  And pain will make us give up quicker than being hungry.

We all know our own bodies and how much they can handle.  What I plan to do is take ONE of the exercises doing 1 set a day building up to 2.  After my body has adjusted to this one I'll add another, working it the same way.  This is taking it easy and allowing me to build my muscles at my own pace, with less pain, allowing me to not give up.  I'll keep you up on how this is working out.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken & Broccoli

6 oz. baked chicken
4 slices thin sliced bacon

1 cup broccoli spears
4 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing (optional)

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.  Lay out the bacon on a baking dish.  In the middle divide the chicken between the 4 pieces of bacon.  Divide the broccoli evenly over the chicken. Wrap the bacon around the chicken & broccoli.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  With a pair of tongs, carefully turn the chicken over and cook another 10 minutes allowing the bacon to get done but not crispy. Serves 2

Comments:  This dish is so simple and can be made for more servings simply by increasing the ingredients.  The flavor from the bacon flows through the chicken as well as the broccoli.  For an added touch I drizzled each wrap with 1 Tbsp. of Ranch Dressing.  If you’re on a diet, you will feel like your cheating, it’s that good.

Nutrition Facts Servings 2.0 Amount Per Serving calories 271 % Daily Value * Total Fat 19 g Saturated Fat 4 g Monounsaturated Fat 1 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 58 mg Sodium 500 mg Potassium 178 mg Total Carbohydrate 7 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Protein 22 g