Post Christmas Food Blues

Christmas was awesome.  The Christmas food was awesome.  But now I live with the consequences.  Meh, I only feel a little guilty.  Today I threw away all the sweets that were hanging around.  Left over pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheese cake, peppermint torte, chocolates, homemade sandies, and homemade candies, all in a nasty pile in the trash.  I suppose that's a win. I still have New Year's to navigate, however.

Eating like a diabetic, when you are not actually a diabetic is hard.  I don't have to avoid sugar. I don't have to count my carbs.  I don't have to check my sugars. But I sure feel better when I do.  I am sooo sugared out this holiday season.  I didn't make nearly the treats that I normally do, and I still managed to make something at least every other day.

The worst part is, I got sick.  From the neck up, I am miserable.  From the neck down, I want to go for a run so badly it hurts.  And I cannot believe how sluggish I feel from not exercising.  It's been 4 days now.  I'm so antsy.  There was a time that I wouldn't have noticed if I happened to exercise in a week.  Now I am counting the days and whining about it.  That is a huge change. 

I have a plan for the New Year's menu.  This is the plan, right now.  I'm checking with the other people who are coming to see what changes they want to make.  I am trying to make it so that people who want to be healthy, can be.  Those who don't want to be healthy, well, they should have some options also.

Swedish meatballs -- (home made with extra veggies added to the meat- no noodles)

Soft pretzels -- (again - homemade)

Apple / orange salad (basically apple and orange slices with a juice made from fresh lemon juice 

                                    and  fresh orange juice)

Buffalo dip

7 layer dip or nachos  (7 layer dip is healthier, but nachos are tasty)

Veggie platter

Fruit bowl

Lil’ smokies / pigs in blanket

Soda / lemonade

Birthday cake for my friend who was born on the 1st.

Jello salad / jello squares 

Coleslaw -- (homemade with about 1/4 the mayo normally used and double the veggies)

potato chips & dip (don't judge - diabetics can have this)

What do you think?  What would you add or subtract?  How would you make it healthified?  What are you having?

Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower Alfredo

Have you seen all of the recipes for cauliflower Alfredo sauce?  Have you thought it sounded gross?  Have you wondered if it was good?  Me too.

 This is the 2nd time I've made an Alfredo using cauliflower.  This is the 2nd time my kids have eaten it and thought it was the greatest pasta ever.  My kids HATE cauliflower!  So, yes, it is good.  Yes, it works. And yes, you should make it.  But I warn you, you will not like restaurant Alfredo any more.  You will look at the grease as it separates from the cheese and taste the blandness and you will be disappointed.  You will want the cauliflower Alfredo. 

This stuff reheats like a dream.  There is no separation.  This freezes and reheats.  It covers pasta, pizza crust, and can be used as a fondue of sorts for your favorite veggies.  It is creamy, and cheesy and really tastes better than it's 1100 calorie counterpart.  And the best part- it is easy! 

Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower Alfredo

1 head Cauliflower
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 8oz package of  neufchatel cheese (you can use cream cheese but this has 1/3 the calories and the same flavor)
2 slices Swiss Cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Onion
1 Tsp. minced garlic
1-2 Tbl. Olive Oil
dash nutmeg
1 tsp. parsley
2 dashes Thyme
1/2 tsp white pepper (optional)

Clean and cut the cauliflower.  Then boil it in the water and bouillon cubes until soft. Carefully add to blender and starting on the lowest setting blend until smooth.  Set aside.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.  When just starting to turn translucent, add to blender and blend.  Return mixture to pan and heat on medium low.  Add the Swiss and Parmesan cheeses and stir until melted.  Add the nutmeg, parsley and thyme. (Pepper also if you are using it.)

Serve over whole wheat pasta.

How easy is that?  Let me know what you think of it.

Forming a Habit of Health in Children - Why our Example Matters

The grand sugar fest is over. How did you do? Do you still have buckets of candy staring you in the face?  Did you finish it all off in one night? Did you throw it all away?  I left out 1/3 of my kid's candy.  I hid 2/3.  They haven't figured it out yet.  I think it's possible that they don't realize that they have anymore.  That's fine with me.  I'll pull it out to decorate some gingerbread houses. 

I love that my kids don't seem concerned about the candy.  I like candy for a little while, but then tire of it.  I threw out the last of the Easter candy the day before Halloween.  Don't worry, chocolate doesn't last, but jelly beans and hard candy always sits and eventually hits the trash.  That's probably why my kids aren't having a fit.  They know it's here somewhere.  If they want it they'll ask.  It's theirs, I will give it to them.  However, out-of-sight-out-of-mind.  They should really want a piece.  It should be a conscious decision.  And they should have an apple first.  ;)

I was listening to one of my young ones as she played with a friend.  They were playing that they were going to the store.  Here is the conversation they had:

1) Let's go to the store.
2) Let's have some food first.
3) We'll get food at the store.
4) No, if we don't have food first, we'll get to the store and be like, "I'm hungry, I'm hungry. I want this and I want that."


Funny conversation.  Funny and instructional.  My child has learned from me to eat before going to the store, but I have never said it to her.  I have said to my children, "let's have a quick lunch. I don't want to go shopping hungry."  That is a good lesson.  --- The lesson is for me.  My children are watching me.  They will mimic my eating behaviors.  Whether I want them to or not.  I cannot say, "do as I say, not as I do." It won't work.


My husband and I both had mothers that fed us wheat bread, rather than white bread.  I thought Wonder Bread, was the best thing since, well, sliced bread.  But my mom wouldn't buy it.  :(  But actually, it was a great thing that she did for me.  Both my husband and I prefer whole wheat bread.  Given a choice, we both automatically reach for the wheat version of any dinner roll or bread.  It is habit.  A habit that was formed in our childhoods.  (Thank you mom!)

If my kids see me eat junk, they will eat junk.  It is that simple.  I have been eating a lot of apples lately.  (I bought some locally and I live next to some pretty groovy orchards, so they are fabulous.)  I've noticed that my son reaches for an apple every time he needs something quick.  I'm pretty sure it helps that I haven't bought chips or crackers or other junk in a while.  But like my mom, who refused to buy white Wonder bread, I am instilling better habits in my child. 

I suppose that when it's hard for me to stick to a healthy diet, it might be wise to remember that someone is watching.  It is not only my health that could suffer, it is my child's.  Wow!  That is some powerful motivation!

7 Steps to Having a Sane Halloween - Keeping Sugar in Check

Caramel apple

  This is diabetes on a stick.  It's caramely, chocolatey yumminess is also what diabetics and dieters most love and fear- Sugar!  Sugar, to a diabetic, and actually to most of the United States, is crack!  Sugar is our drug of choice.  But to a diabetic, and eventually to all of us, sugar is as dangerous as crack.  So how does a diabetic, or a dieter, or even a reasonably sane person get through Halloween? Halloween, the one day a year in which we ritualistically devour our body weight in pure sugar; except for the part that is pure corn syrup.  How does a person navigate rivers of soda, mountains of flour and days of nutritional desert?  I, for one, need a plan.

Here are my 7 Steps to Having a Sane Halloween.  

1) Share. Do not hide from food.  Be actively involved in your food decisions. Diabetes on a stick is manageable, but only if you are proactive.  I am going to take one caramel apple, cut it into slices and share! I will allow myself a taste, but not the whole thing.  Deprivation doesn't work, and you can't hide from the world.  So have a taste, and then give the rest away.

2) Repackage.  People are going to "Boo" you, leaving yummy treats on your doorstep.  (They are probably Sharing.) Take one cookie off the top of the plate for your dessert and repackage the rest with sandwich baggies, or better yet, the little snack sized bags.  Take the baggies and throw them in the freezer.  You can have a cookie, or a brownie once in a while, but not the whole plate.  So don't let the whole plate sit in front of you.

3) Exercise.  Exercise combats a little of the sugar damage, although you can't out exercise a bad diet.  Still, a bit of exercise will make you think twice about that extra cookie.  Why would you want to undo all the good you've done.  One hour of exercise doesn't even cover the calories in a large piece of chocolate cake! So have 2 bites of cake and push it away. You've worked too hard!

4) Make it not "all about the food." Why does every Holiday have to be all about the food?  Who made that rule? Make crafts, decorate the house, spend time,  talking on the phone to a friend. (You would have spent that time baking naughty treats anyway.)  Go on a nature walk.  Make it about the fun of the holiday, not the food.  Halloween is hard, because, let's face it, it really is all about the candy, but try to think about other ways to enjoy it.

5) Don't pass out candy.  I know, I know.  This would not seem to be the correct approach for a sane person.  My mom handed out little toys, necklaces, and pencils from the dollar store one year.  I thought she was nuts and no one would want to go to her house.  Guess what? She was the most popular house on the block.  The kids were thrilled.  How weird is that?  But, if you buy candy you hate, you'll just sit and eat bad candy.  If you buy candy you like, you'll sit and eat good candy that isn't good for you.  So just don't pass out candy- pass out toys or gift certificates from McDonalds, or Krispy Kreme.

6) Choose wisely.  You know you're going to steal some candy from your kids, so be picky about what you will eat.  If you love peanut butter cups, decide ahead of time that you will have 2 and then don't bother with the other stuff.  Remind yourself that the candy doesn't all go away on November 1st, so you can have more later.  You don't need more than 1-2 pieces, you really don't.

7) Track your calories.  Or track your sugars. Or both.  Do it. Even if it's not convenient, do it.  Pay attention to what is important.  And if your sugars are high- no candy.  And if your calories are high- no cookies.  Don't allow yourself to take this day off.  Be aware of what you are putting in your mouth.

These are my strategies.  I'm sure you've noticed that I am having sugar.  I am giving myself permission to do that.  I do believe that you will be more successful if you give yourself permission to have a little treat.  You can learn moderation.  You may not lose weight at lightning speed, but you will still lose weight.  And slower weight loss is likely to be permanent weight loss, because it is about changing your lifestyle.

Good luck- it's a sugar cube jungle out there!

Savory Broccoli Cakes

 

 

Broccoli Cakes- (Savory) These are really good, pretty healthy and easy to grab and snack on.

1 bag frozen, or 3 cups chopped fresh broccoli- steamed
3 eggs
1c. bread crumbs
2 c. shredded cheese. (you can use less if you use a strong cheese like sharp cheddar or Parmesan)

Cook and drain your broccoli. Let cool a bit (or you will cook your eggs.) Add all ingredients and mix well. form into patties, but don't flatten. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and place patties on sheet. bake at 375 for about 20 min.