Cold Weather carnivorous Recipe of the Day!

As you know I am a vegetarian but I need to feed my carnivores meat on occasion or they will become restless.  I will be making this for our cold weather tomorrow with some biscuits and Mashed potatoes.  Yummy!

Perfect Pot Roast (Slow-Cooker)

Ingredients

1. 2 lbs beef roast
2. 4  new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3. 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
4. 1 large onion, quartered and pulled apart
5. 1 1/2 cups beef broth
6. 1 (1 1/2 ounce) envelopes dry vegetable soup mix ( I use Knorr)

Directions

1. Place roast into crockpot and surround with vegetables.
2. Combine beef broth and vegetable soup mix, then add to crockpot.
3. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.

January 6, 2014

I stayed up very late last night until the wee hours of the morning getting work done for school.  I was so very exhausted at work today and really needed a nap when I came home.  I took a 2 hour nap in time to have dinner with my family.  Now it's back to work again.  We are preparing for icy temps tonight so tonight I am staying in my PJ's and bundling myself in my warm blanket.  Brrr

Today's Menu

Breakfast- Sandwich with a Banana-285 Calories

Banana
Special K Flat bread Sandwich
Cup of Tea

Snack-Yogurt-180

Blueberry Yoplait yogurt

Lunch-Lentil Soup w/chips-250 Calories

Vegetable Lentil Soup
Special K Cracker Chips
Cup of Tea

Dinner-Market Salad-370 Calories

Dessert-Peanut Butter-100 Calories

Total Calories-1185

I could have so many calories if I had not eaten such a fattening dressing.  Luckily I still stayed within my calories and tomorrow I will continue to make better choices.

I hope your day was as wonderful as mine.

I made it

Today was my first day of really counting calories.  Since it's too cold to get exercise and because I'm currently lazy, I wanted to at least get less than 1200 calories in my body.  I actually stayed under 1200 calories today.  However, I need to continue to work in that protein intake.  I know each day will come with a new challenge but I am determined to make changes for the good in my life.  Not only did I eat better today but I also managed to keep the kids out of the kitchen snacking.  I even got little man to ride the indoor bike.  I know I too could have ridden it but baby steps for me.  Plus I was busy "working" all day.

Thanks for stopping by.  Keep coming back for more updates, recipes, and just to say hello. 

Just a few pictures to show weight has always been a struggle for me but I have not given up.  Also a picture of the first day I started the most important job I'll ever have.  January 14, 2000.  Mommy of a beautiful baby girl.

January 5th

OK so 5 days in the year and I'm finally getting this eating in order.  So far so good on my menu and on staying away from the junk food.  The real challenge will be when I get back to the office tomorrow and the lunch room is full of good chocolate.  I know the key is to keep healthy snacks available at all times.  Amazing how wonderful peanut butter tastes when you're looking for something sweet to eat.   I'm going to attempt to make my own peanut butter once I finish what I have using the following recipe.

Smooth Low-Fat Peanut Butter

Step 1

Mix the peanuts and canola oil together in your food processor.

Step 2

Blend ingredients together in your food processor until the mixture is very smooth.

Step 3

Remove peanut butter from food processor and it's ready for you to eat. Transfer any extra to your resealable container for later.

Tips

• Your peanut butter should last for about two weeks. Store it in a sealed container in your refrigerator, away from light, heat and humidity so that it stays as fresh as possible.

Things You'll Need

• 1½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• Food processor
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Resealable storage container

Bon Appetit and let me know what you think if you try this recipe.

January 4th Entry

OK so tomorrow I am ready to get started with this weight loss plan.   I have my starting weight written down but I'm not quite ready to share it yet.  When I have lost a few pound and feel like I'm in the right direction I will start to post my numbers. 

Menu for January 5th


Breakfast- Potatoes and Toast- 320 Calories

Potatoes

Whole Wheat toast

Coffee

Lunch- Sandwich and chips - 280 calories

1/2 naan bred
2 tablespoons hummus
1 small pepper
4 slices of pickles
1 bag of Special K cracker chips

Snack- Apple and PB - 150 calories

1 apple
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Dinner-Organic Burrito w/Carrots-280 Calories

Organic Bean and Rice Burrito

2 oz of organic carrots

Dessert- 90 Calories

Fiber one lemon Bar

Calories-1120 Calories

Let's see how it goes.

Vegan Recipe of the Day

This is one I'm definitely going to try during these cold nights.

 

Hot and Sour Soup

from The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester

Kathy’s note: It’s hard to find vegan soups at Chinese takeouts in most areas. This is the perfect cold and flu season soup. It clears those sinuses right up! You can adjust the amount of spice until it’s just right for you.

Ingredients

• 1 10 ounce (280g) package sliced mushrooms
• 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
• 1 8-ounce (225g) can bamboo shoots, drained and jullienned
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15 ounce (420g) package firm or silken tofu, cubed
• 2 tablespoons (16g) grated fresh ginger, divided
• 4 cups (940ml) water
• 2 tablespoons (16g) vegan chicken-flavored bouillon
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) soy sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra for drizzling (Susan’s note: I didn’t need the extra)
• 1 teaspoon chili paste
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) fresh or frozen peas

Instructions

1. The Night Before: Store the cut-up mushrooms, bamboo shoots, garlic, and tofu in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the prepared ginger in another airtight container in the fridge.
2. In the Morning: Combine the mushrooms, bamboo, shoots, garlic, tofu, 1 tablespoon (8g) of the ginger, water, bouillon, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, and vinegar in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
3. A few minutes before serving, add the peas and the remaining 1 tablespoon (8g) ginger and stir to combine. Taste the broth and add more vinegar or chili if needed. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil on top of each serving. If you like it milder and your friends like it hot, serve the chili paste on the side.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 6 to 8 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 208 calories, 62 calories from fat, 7.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1088.4mg sodium, 546.3mg potassium, 21.6g carbohydrates, 5.4g fiber, 6g sugar, 19.2g protein, 6.1 points. (Nutrition courtesy of FatFree Vegan Kitchen–any mistakes are mine. Sodium and fat content will vary depending on the brand of bouillon and type of tofu used.–SV)

Time to go home.