Category Archives: Food & Dieting

Dec 22 2011

‘Cause Giving Feels Good

This week J decided he wanted to spend some gift cards he’d won at work on food for a local Parish’s food bank here in St. Ann.  I contacted them Wednesday to see what they needed right now in time for the holidays and made a list.  After he got off work, we made a trip to our local Big Lots to shop for canned goods and non-perishable food products.  We finished in time to drop it all off at the Parish.

It was definitely a feel good moment for us and we’ve decided to start doing it year round.  Sure, we’ve always been a bit charitable in the past and have done nice things for others or given money when the opportunity arose.  My work has a charity committee that gives money or goods each month to a different charity, and I have participated several times over the years.

Our challenge for ourselves in 2012 will be to make a monthly donation to this food bank.  After Coupon STL, a local coupon clipping/money saving blog that I follow, began setting aside just $5 each shopping trip for food bank items, I was motivated to do the same. Five bucks can go a long way, especially when canned goods and other items are on sale or you have coupons for such.

You may wonder why we chose to shop at Big Lots of all places?  Well, that’s the main reason for this post.  We spent just $79 at Big Lots with no coupons at all, and here’s what we purchased:

9 Canned Hams at $2.75 each

4 Skillet Pasta Meals at $1.00 each

4 Chicken Salads w/ Crackers at $1.00 each

4 Tuna Salads w/ Crackers at $1.00 each

4 Boxes of Mac N Cheese at .50 cents each

6 Boxes of Chicken Rice a Roni at .90 cents each

3 Cans of Sweet Peas at .60 cents each

3 Cans of Chicken Noodle Soup at .95 cents each

4 Cans of Vienna Sausages at .45 cents each

3 cans of Hunts Whole Tomatoes at .80 cents each

3 Cans of Whole Kernel Corn at .80 cents each

3 Cans of White Chicken Meat at $1.65 each

4 Jars of Pasta Sauce at $1.50 each

3 Cans of Baked Beans at $1.00 each

1 Can of Peaches at .80 each

1 Can of Fruit Cocktail at $1.00 each

1 Can of Cherries at $1.00 each

Our total was $74.90 and tax was just $4.10.  Our main decision for Big Lots was for the Canned Hams.  We’d seen them there before and the Parish had specifically requested them.  We decided some one stop shopping would do since Big Lots had a ton of boxed and canned food items.  Sure, a lot of the grocery stores are running soups and veggies right now for 10 for $10, some are 10 for $7 at some of the ads I checked this week.  But Mac N Cheese and Pasta Sauce were a bit more.  So, looking at the big picture, I think we did great considering we had no coupons and all of the food went to a good cause.  That was the main purpose here no matter how much we paid.

So, looks like I have another challenge (or New Years resolution?) on my hands for 2012.  I’m going to dedicate $5 to $10 per paycheck to food items for charity.  Since I get paid every other week (26 times a year), that’s a total of $130 to $260 dollars for the year.  To put that into perspective, at $260 I could have bought three times what we purchased above.  Or at $260, that’s 94 canned hams!  How many mouths will that feed?

So now I challenge you to do the same!  Can’t afford $5.00 per paycheck?  Do $3.00.  Heck, do $1.00!  We can all afford a buck, can’t we? One dollar would buy two cans of sausages or two boxes of the Mac N Cheese! I often see 4 for $1.00 specials at the grocery store.  Step up to the challenge next year and be charitable.  How many mouths will you feed?

Dec 14 2011

2012 Resolutions …

A few posts ago I did a 2011 Resolutions Revisited post.  I promised I’d list my new resolutions for 2012, so here’s what I have so far…

#1. Lose weight.  Yep, this is probably number one on everyone’s list. As you know, it was on last year’s list too.  I’ve lost 26 lbs so far for 2011 and have unfortunately hit that stopping point where I just can’t get anymore to fall off.  I haven’t had a weight loss since July 22nd.  Thankfully, I haven’t had a gain either though.  But next year’s goal is just 23 lbs!  That’s just under 2 lbs a month.  February 13th will be my one year anniversary that I started back to the gym.  I’d love to drop 5 lbs by then.

#2. Save money.  Again, another one on everyone’s list I’m sure, but next year is my year to focus on that.  My goal is to put $2,500 in savings before Black Friday 2012.  I never have any money during the holidays, so next year I’m going to change that.

#3. Pay off debt.  I’m probably sounding like a broken record, right?  Because this is probably on everyone’s list too.  But I’m going to put some focus here and blog about it a bit too.  And this will help with number two. More about it later as I set to work on it….credit cards, student loan, all that headache.

#4. Focus more on my bookstore review blog. I started the STL Bookstore Review site last year.  I even tried to get Heidi Glaus at KSDK interested to no avail.  My goal was to visit one store a month, but I fell short of that goal even though I did review 16 stores for the year total, three of which are now closed Borders stores.  That’s okay!  I’m going to try to double that number of stores next year which equals about 3 stores a month!

And that’s it (so far) for the year.  Notice there’s no couponing goal.  I’ve done that two years in a row.  2011′s goal was to try to best last year, but I came out even.  I also wanted to spend less on groceries, but went over this year. So with the focus on saving money, I’ll hopefully spend less.  I’m still going to coupon a bit to help with that, but I will be buying smarter and buying less in 2012. More about this in my next coupon recap post at the end of the year.

And no reading goal next year.  I read all the time, that’s a given.  I usually average 30 to 40 books a year.  I’ll still review books and keep track of what I read, but I’m not setting a goal for 2012.

No blogging goal either.  I blog all the time, and will complete my goal this year of posting something every day.  But, I’m not going to try that again next year, so my blog posts in 2012 will be a tad bit more random and definitely not every day.

And lastly, no writing goal.  I write every day.  That’s a given.  I don’t want to set a goal for next year because I don’t like the pressure.

And that’s it!  What are your goals so far for next year?

Dec 8 2011

Leeks and Lentils

One of my favorite stew recipes came from friend Lori M last year.  It’s lentil stew.  She brought a pot of it over for a visit one weekend in October of last year and I loved it so much I had to have the recipe. It’s the only recipe I’ve ever made with lentils, but one surprise new ingredient that I’ve also never cooked with before or outside of this recipe is leeks.  The stew is a good hearty and thick stew despite having no meat.  If you love basics like carrots, onion, and celery, then you will like this recipe.  And it’s super simple to make.  Here’s the recipe:

1/2 lb. lentils (rinsed)
1 med. yellow onion chopped
2 chopped leeks (white and light green parts)
1/2 tbsp of minced garlic
1/8 cup of olive oil
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/2 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 & 1/2 cups of diced celery
1 & 1/2 cups of chopped carrots
1 quart of chicken stock
1/4 can of tomato paste
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

Start by sauteing on medium heat the onion, garlic, and leeks in the olive oil with the salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for about  15 to 20 minutes.  Add the celery and carrots and continue to saute for about another 5 to 10 minutes. Add the stock, paste, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour or until the lentils are cooked.

Serve with fresh cornbread muffins!  It’s quite yummy.

I made this recipe a few times last year and tried some variations.  All were good, but the following the original recipe is still probably the best.  I’ve used beef stock instead of chicken stock before when that’s all I had.  There’s really no difference except the stew will be darker and have a touch of that meaty flavor.  I also prefer to soak the lentils overnight because sometimes they aren’t tender enough after that one hour and if you cook it any longer you may have to add more stock.

I’ve added as much as half a can of tomato paste before and found no real difference.  I’ve also added a whole can before.  Obviously, it’ll give the stew a reddish color and actually make it a bit thicker after the one hour of cooking time, again requiring more stock to be added.  So avoid that.  Lori taught me you can divide the leftover paste and freeze it in smaller portions if you need to.

I’ve also added more cumin before, about a full teaspoon, but you don’t want to add too much more than that.  We also like a dash of salt on it right before serving.  So, I don’t think the variations on the other spices would hurt but I would avoid more cumin that a teaspoon.

And that’s about it! It’s awesome with buttered corn bread muffins and the leftovers are even better.  And it’s quite healthy if you use a low sodium stock. Enjoy!

Dec 2 2011

2011 Resolutions Revisited

How are you 2011 resolutions shaping up? Here’s the link to mine which I posted on December 31st last year.

No. 1 was to get back in the gym!  Done!  I started back on February 13th and have lost 26 lbs to date.  These last few months have been rough, especially now that the holidays are here, and as you know from Wednesday’s post I’m still pushing myself to lose 10 more lbs by the end of the year.  I’m quite proud that I’ve stayed on track with this resolution this year.

No. 2 was to read 50 books. I’m at 33 books for pleasure reading.  Here’s the list. I said I was going to include them, but I didn’t count my LLBR review books because a lot of times I’m speed reading those. I’m definitely over 50 if I did count all of them.  I’ve also read a few kids books for reviews which I’m not counting either.  But, for the sake of this resolution, I’m pretty satisfied with the results.  If I counted EVERY book, then I met my goal.

No. 3 was to blog more.  Done!  I accepted a WordPress challenge this year to post something every day to my blog, and I’ve done just that!

No. 4 was actually part of No. 3.  Though I haven’t visited a store since October, my STL Bookstore Review is still going strong.

No. 5 was a pie challenge.  I wanted to try a new pie recipe each month. Sadly, this resolution died in April.  Oh well…. it probably would have hurt the weight loss goal anyway.  Nothing lost here.

No. 6 was couponing!  As you know if you read my blog, I definitely stayed loyal to this one. I haven’t reached my $1500 savings goal and I probably won’t, but I’m still happy with the results.  I’ve saved $1082.69 in coupons so far this year.  I’ll probably end the year at $1200 which is exactly where I was last year.

No. 7 was to save more money by spending less on groceries.  Uh oh!  I just added up my total for the year and right now I’m exactly $27 over what I spent last year.  With one month still to go, I’m definitely going to be over but at least it’s not by much.

So there you have it!  Not bad for 2011, huh?  So, what am I doing for 2012 you ask?  Check back later this year to find out.

Nov 30 2011

Back to the Gym, Slim (Ha! I wish!)

It’s back to the gym today for me!  I’ve been trying to go every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  I was pretty loyal to that schedule till October when I hurt my foot.   I missed a few weeks thanks to the boot I had to wear.  Then, starting back was hard and things came up and I would occasionally skip Friday.  I always said I was going to make up for it and go on Saturday or Sunday, but it’s VERY easy not to go on the weekends.  I also said I was going to go at least once this past weekend during the holiday, but I didn’t do that either.  BUT…I’m definitely going back to my three day schedule starting today.

I’m also going to start trimming the diet.  I know that’s hard to do during the holidays, but I’m definitely going to try.  As you know, I didn’t reach my 2 lb loss goal that I had hoped for before Thanksgiving came.  And the scale is tipping a little more now that Thanksgiving has come and gone.  That’s okay though…now I’m shooting to reach that goal by December.  So, the goal is now 10 lbs by the end of the year.  Think I can do it?  I’m definitely going to try.

What are you doing to stay on track during the holidays?  Or did you give up dieting last Wednesday?

 

Nov 25 2011

Stuffed?

Did you over eat yesterday?

My plate might have been just a tad bit fuller than usual, but it was enough for me not to want seconds.

I did have a slice of cheese cake and then a slice of pumpkin pie later on in the day.

I’m not going to beat myself up though.  I’ll be back in the gym next week working it off just like everyone else.  I even thought about going this weekend to get a head start.

Sadly, I did not reach my weight loss goal that I was shooting for before Thanksgiving, so I’m adjusting my end-of-year goal.  I’m not going to beat myself up about it.  I’m just going to stay on track and keeping trying.

I’m still at 26 lbs for the year, so my new goal is to just lose 4 more by the end of the year!  Wish me luck!

Nov 12 2011

Scaling Down: Keeping the Pounds off During the Holidays

It’s been a while since I posted anything about my weight loss program this year, so I thought I’d take a moment to catch up.  Yes, I’m still dieting but have hit a few bumps in the road lately. 

First, I stopped keeping my calorie journal back in August.  Big mistake!  I really should have kept it up because I do think it helped. I’ve recorded a few days in it since then, but not as religiously as I was doing.  Sadly, I checked it today and discovered I haven’t had any weight loss since July 22nd.  Boooooooo! At least I haven’t had any weight gain though which is a relief!

After hurting my foot mid-October, I was out of the gym until just last week.  Man, it was definitely hard to get back into the routine but I did it.  I went 3 days last week and have gone 2 days so far this week.  Now is when I need to be going more than ever since the holidays are approaching, and guess what?  Everyone else seems to have the same idea!  The gym has been packed these last two weeks every night I’ve gone!!

But I’m so close to my goal!  I need to just lose 2 more pounds by the 24th!  Just 2!!!!  After that, I’d love to lose another 10 by the end of the year, but that may not happen if I can’t get these last 2 shed before Thanksgiving.  Either way, I’m shooting to lose 23 lbs by February 13th.  That’s my one year anniversary when I first started back to the gym and my total weight loss for the year will be 48 lbs.  I’d love to hit 50 lbs, but will be extremely satisfied to just get to 48!

Daylight Savings Time has been a bitch because I don’t get off work till 5:30pm, so when I leave works it’s pitch black already outside.  Since I go to the gym from work and don’t get home till 6:45pm, it makes me think I’m running really late with it being so dark already.  And let’s not even mention that the weather is getting colder!  I bought two new pair of work-out pants last week because all I had was shorts.

So what are my plans?  Well, I’m going to change my gym routine to 4 days instead of 3 (I think). I currently go Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday…but I might switch it up to Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.  I think if I went during the day on Saturday and Sunday I’d enjoy it more since it’s still daylight outside and I won’t feel like I’m running late.

Calorie Journal!  Definitely going to try to get back into the routine of keeping up with it and being responsible for the numbers.

And of course…getting a little more strict on the diet so that I don’t have to worry too much when Thanksgiving and Christmas come around.

What about you?  What are your plans to keep in shape and keep the pounds off during the holidays?

Oct 10 2011

Building Better Breakfast Casseroles

I recently decided to challenge myself to build a better breakfast casserole.  These casseroles are all the rage at work whenever there’s a food day or bake sale.  I’ve sampled two at the workplace now and I didn’t think either was all that spectacular.  One uses bread as its base and the other used hashbrowns.  Of course, both had sausage and eggs and cheese.

I started by searching the web for recipes and found one I thought I’d start with at allrecipes.com.  It’s an Amish Breakfast Casserole with eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, onions, and three kinds of cheeses.  Other than cooking the bacon and onion, the recipe was just mixing all the ingredients together.  Adding the bacon and onion and then popping it in the oven for 40 minutes.  It was super simple!

I liked the overall flavor and it wasn’t too heavy despite all the cheese. The recipe calls for only six eggs which I thought wouldn’t be enough, but it was just enough actually.

Now for what I’d change…I would like to try the recipe with sausage instead of bacon for a different flavor.  I’d also probably add mushrooms to it for some hearty flavor.

I ate a piece plain and was well pleased with the flavor, and then had a second piece with salsa on the side.  Wow!  What a different the salsa makes.  So, I think I’ve found a good base recipe for my better breakfast casserole.  Can’t wait to make it again soon with the additions added.

 

Sep 26 2011

Broccoli Cheese Soup for The Crock

Last winter, J and I experimented with Broccoli Cheese soup using a big ole block of Velveeta as the cheese base.  It was the best ever!  We made it on the stove top, but I wanted to make a batch on Sunday using our new crock pot.   I found a pretty good recipe over at food.com. I thought this recipe was unique because it uses both green peppers and onions.  I’ve found some recipes that even include carrots.  But I am making this even more super simple by leaving the peppers out.  J isn’t a fan of them anyway in soups because they can sometimes be bitter. But we have to have onions!

I normally use a bit of flower as a thickener in a soup like this, but this recipe doesn’t call for it.  Instead, it uses cream of chicken soup so I’m going to try that. I also found recipes that don’t add the cheese to the crock. They cook all other ingredients in the crock and then add the cheese just before serving.  I didn’t like that idea, so I was glad to find this recipe that adds the cheese up front.  Here are the ingredients:

1 10 oz. bag of frozen broccoli (I used the Jolly Green Giant Steamer kind and chopped up some of the larger florets.)
1 can of cream of chicken soup (Good ole Campbell’s Condensed)
1 medium chopped yellow onion
1 and 1/2 cups of milk
1 stick of butter (The recipe only calls for two tablespoons to sautee the onions.)
1 lb. of Velveeta Cheese chopped

I added the milk and soup to my crock immediately and turned it on low.  Chopped the onion and sauteed it on low heat in the two pats of butter until almost translucent. With the onions on the stove, I chopped the cheese and added it to the crock. Onions done – poured those in the crock and topped off with the broccoli after cutting up some of the larger pieces. I took the remainder of the stick of butter and chopped it up and threw it in the crock because I knew it would help with flavor.

I cooked it on low for a good six to seven hours before serving it.  We top it with bacon bits, oyster crackers, chopped green onions, and a dab of sour cream.  We each had a bowl for a late lunch and then again for dinner!  Yummy!!  Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of it for the blog.  But take my word for it, it was awesome.

Sep 19 2011

Canning…Err, Freezing Corn

Two Saturdays ago (9/10) we bought a dozen ears of corn at a local Farmer’s Market. I spent that Sunday shucking the corn and preparing it for the freezer.  It’s actually a very simple process once you have shucked the corn and cut it off the cob.  You put it on the stove on low heat and add just a small amount of water.  I added about half a cup of water to this batch from 12 ears.  Stir it until heated through, almost until it comes to a slow boil.  Then, you bag it and put it in the freezer.  Done!

I ended up with six half quart bags of corn.  If you filled the bags completely, you’d probably have 3 full quarts.  I bag smaller portions since there are only two of us.  We usually use this corn for soups or stews in the winter.  I just wish we had more freezer space to be able to store away more.