It isn't often that I have a dud when it comes to one of Suzanne's recipes. The recipe below, I think, would have been better with a few modifications. But, I'm here to report the good and bad about my experiences with the Sexy Forever plan.
Chicken Drumsticks with Lemon Slices and Crispy Herbs (page 248 in Sexy Forever) plus sauteed scallions and broccoli.
First, I have to say that this recipe didn't turn out quite like Suzanne said it would, but it was still good. In my opinion, it was a waste of good herbs because they didn't crisp up, and that made them unpleasant to eat. The recipe calls for 3 to 5 cups of loosely packed fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, or parsley) that you place on top of the chicken.
I added two breasts to the mix because you can only eat so many drumsticks (the recipe calls for 12). Plus, as always, I like lots of leftovers.
Next, you drizzle the chicken with EVOO, then slice up 3 lemons and place them all over the chicken and along the sides. Then season with salt, pepper, and 10 cloves of minced garlic.
Bake at 350 degrees for 80 minutes; turning a couple times. When it came out, the lemons made so much juice it covered the chicken and made the herbs limp. Nothing was crispy and we ended up throwing out the herbs. I almost cried.
However, the chicken was very moist, but not what I was expecting. I also think the lemons overpowered the herbs and didn't give them a chance to properly flavor the chicken.
As a personal note, I would probably try this recipe again because the chicken was extremely moist. I would however eliminate the herbs, or place a few under the skin. The leftovers were very moist, too.
Regarding the veggie side dish: I sauteed the one bunch of sliced scallions and two heads of broccoli (cut into pieces) in a couple tablespoons of EVOO for about 10-12 minutes. Then, I seasoned them with a couple of shakes of Grill Mates by McCormick (Montreal Chicken). Delicious and great as a leftover for lunch, too.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Easy Eggs Florentine
This dish is so cute and fairly easy to make. What's also great about it is the leftovers. I just doubled the recipe and froze them in individual servings to have on hand. It will be a great mid-week indulgence for mornings when you need a little something special.
Easy Eggs Florentine ( recipe on SS web site).
You prepare these yummy eggs in a cupcake tin and they come out looking like cupcakes. But, they're made with ham, spinach, eggs, and cheese.
We had some friends over for brunch yesterday, and I wish you could have seen how beautiful they looked on my Royal Albert bone china serving dish. Plus, a small two-tiered pedestal held my breakfast sausages. And of course, the individual place settings matched. So, it was indeed a beautiful table, topped with some fall mums as the centerpiece. This dish proves that you can prepare holiday-appropriate meals on the Sexy Forever plan.
Tip: Here's a recipe tip. When baking the eggs in the oven, the recipe says to bake for 10 minutes. However, they were still a bit runny, so I put them back in the oven for an additional 3 minutes and they were perfect. And, so as not to be confused, after the 13 minutes you top them with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Ingredients for 2 servings (I made enough for 10 servings):
3 oz. deli style ham, 3-1/2 oz. frozen chopped spinach, pepper, 4 large eggs, and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butter 4 cups in a muffin tin. Place a slice of ham into each and press to form a cup. Divide spinach into each cup, season with pepper (and salt if you wish). Crack an egg into each cup, then bake. After 10-13 minutes, top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Below are some Halloween Tablous I created for Sugar Notes, my greeting card company. I also placed them on my brunch table for some extra pazazz!
Easy Eggs Florentine ( recipe on SS web site).
You prepare these yummy eggs in a cupcake tin and they come out looking like cupcakes. But, they're made with ham, spinach, eggs, and cheese.
We had some friends over for brunch yesterday, and I wish you could have seen how beautiful they looked on my Royal Albert bone china serving dish. Plus, a small two-tiered pedestal held my breakfast sausages. And of course, the individual place settings matched. So, it was indeed a beautiful table, topped with some fall mums as the centerpiece. This dish proves that you can prepare holiday-appropriate meals on the Sexy Forever plan.
Tip: Here's a recipe tip. When baking the eggs in the oven, the recipe says to bake for 10 minutes. However, they were still a bit runny, so I put them back in the oven for an additional 3 minutes and they were perfect. And, so as not to be confused, after the 13 minutes you top them with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Ingredients for 2 servings (I made enough for 10 servings):
3 oz. deli style ham, 3-1/2 oz. frozen chopped spinach, pepper, 4 large eggs, and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butter 4 cups in a muffin tin. Place a slice of ham into each and press to form a cup. Divide spinach into each cup, season with pepper (and salt if you wish). Crack an egg into each cup, then bake. After 10-13 minutes, top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Below are some Halloween Tablous I created for Sugar Notes, my greeting card company. I also placed them on my brunch table for some extra pazazz!
 |
| Above, is the front side. Back sides are below. |
You can purchase these Tablous at:
Type in the code "SexyForever" at checkout to get 10% off!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
It's Weigh-In Day
The Scale Was Kind!
As I mentioned last week, we just came back from vacation and I gained a pound at my last weigh-in. I'm excited to say that I lost that pound today. Yeah for me. Now, with only 12 pounds to go, I'm digging in to realize my goal.
Suzanne posted the recipe below on her web site today and I'm making it tomorrow. I love fennel, too, and never tried this preparation. We went to the Farmer's Market this morning and fennel was a good buy today. I'm going to pair it with a steak on the grill.
I also purchased some zucchini at the market and will roast them on the grill, too. That way I'll have veggies ready to go for Monday. Now that's a real time saver.
Carmelized Fennel
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
- 6 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Friday, October 7, 2011
Chicken with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Syrup plus Tomato Pizza Bites
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth and Still Lose Weight!
According to Suzanne Somers, weight loss doesn't have to come without a little dessert. In fact, some of the most potent weapons in the fight against weight gain can satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time. Suzanne says you can add the following good–for–you foods to your menu to boost your overall health while you slim your waistline: - Berries. These sweet treats are among nature's richest sources of antioxidants and phytonutrients, including vitamin C and potassium. They may lower your risk of heart disease and cancer — and even inhibit inflammation in your body. The riches sources are the darkest colored berries, like blueberries, acai, and pomegranates.
- Yogurt. This calcium–rich treat does more than boost your bone strength — the probiotics fortify your immune and digestive systems and may even inhibit yeast infections and improve your cholesterol levels (they'll lower your bad levels and boost your good cholesterol). Skip the ultra–sweetened (or artificially sweetened) versions and opt for Greek–style yogurt sweetened with a little agave nectar.
- Dark chocolate. Chocoholics have reason to rejoice — dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants that can help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. Don't bother with the cheap stuff, which is loaded with sugar and fillers. Treat yourself to really good chocolate, with the purest ingredients, minimal sugar, and at least 60 percent cocoa.
Chicken with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Syrup (found on Suzanne's web site) plus canned, organic green beans.
This recipe has two sauces for double the pleasure. Together they made dry chicken breasts very moist and extremely flavorful. And, I must confess that I didn't expect to like the balsamic syrup, as I thought it would be too overpowering. But, I was wrong. It was a superb compliment to the goat cheese mixture. They balanced each other remarkably well. What a nice surprise.
There are a lot of steps to this recipe, but well worth the effort. Plus, I made enough for two more meals. How fabulous is that?
Basically, you make a basil pesto, which is fairly quick. Then, you saute lots of garlic; then remove from pan and place in a bowl. Next, fry the chicken until golden brown; 4-5 minutes per side. While that's cooking, add some softened goat cheese and balsamic vinegar to the sauteed garlic.
Put the chicken breasts in a casserole dish and spread with the goat cheese mixture; then place in the oven for 5 minutes while you make the balsamic syrup. Finally, drizzle the balsamic syrup over the chicken and you have a meal fit for a king ... and queen.
Tomato Pizza Bites (SS web site). This was such a fast and pretty snack. Perfert as an appetizer for a party. It calls for 3 ingredients; medium tomatoes, pepperoni, and feta cheese.
I used the turkey pepperoni because I had some in the freezer. First, cut up the tomatoes into 5 thick slices and lay on a microwavable plate. Then top each with one slice of pepperoni and the cheese. Microwave until the cheese has melted; about one minute, or less. Very satisfying and fun.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Weigh-In Day
The Scale Was Kind ... To My Surprise!
Earlier this week we came back from a week of vacation to visit family and to celebrate a few special events, too. So, that means cake. Red velvet cake, to be exact ... and it was super delicious. Plus, my sister's homemade lasagna which was a special treat.
Other than the big party celebration on Tuesday, I ate pretty well. Luckily, my sister is trying to loose weight, too. So, we made a conscious effort to eat healthy but not put a damper on our visit either.
One night we grilled prime rib steaks with baked red potatoes, along with a big salad. I ate just a bit of the potato because everything else was mouthwatering good. We had big egg breakfasts which set the tone for the rest of the meals. In other words, I wasn't raiding the pantry for snacks and things. My sister also prepared a healthy and hearty soup one night and made sure we had lots of fruits and veggies to munch on.
We got home Wednesday night and to my surprise I only gained one pound!!! So thanks dear sister for helping me stay in the zone.
Earlier this week we came back from a week of vacation to visit family and to celebrate a few special events, too. So, that means cake. Red velvet cake, to be exact ... and it was super delicious. Plus, my sister's homemade lasagna which was a special treat.
Other than the big party celebration on Tuesday, I ate pretty well. Luckily, my sister is trying to loose weight, too. So, we made a conscious effort to eat healthy but not put a damper on our visit either.
One night we grilled prime rib steaks with baked red potatoes, along with a big salad. I ate just a bit of the potato because everything else was mouthwatering good. We had big egg breakfasts which set the tone for the rest of the meals. In other words, I wasn't raiding the pantry for snacks and things. My sister also prepared a healthy and hearty soup one night and made sure we had lots of fruits and veggies to munch on.
We got home Wednesday night and to my surprise I only gained one pound!!! So thanks dear sister for helping me stay in the zone.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Caesar Salad and Baked Chicken Breasts
For both of the recipes below, I made enough for six servings; one dinner and two lunches to feed my hubby and me. The dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated. However, don't add the dressing until you're ready to eat the salad.
Caesar Salad (Slim & Sexy book, pg. 183) with Baked Chicken Breasts.
Making your own Caesar salad dressing really makes a difference. It was so flavorful, but fresh tasting at the same time. I could have eaten double, it was that good. This recipe calls for anchovies, which I didn't use because I'm not a fan. I added a little sea salt instead.
Suzanne suggests dipping the hearts of romaine in the dressing so you can enjoy scrumptious mouthfuls, which I really enjoyed. My hubby preferred to break up the romaine and pour the dressing over it. Either way, it was fabulous. The next time I make it I'm going to increase the dressing so I have some on hand for the following week. Just don't add the egg until you're ready to eat it.
This recipe calls for: cracked peppercorns, 1/3 cup EVOO, grated Parmesan cheese, one egg boiled for 1-1/2 minutes, 3 tbls. red wine vinegar, 2 tbls. fresh lemon juice, 1 tbls. pureed garlic, 2 teas. dry mustard, 1 teas. celery salt, 3 dashes Tabasco sauce, 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, romaine lettuce or hearts of romaine.
To make the chicken breasts, I basted EVOO all over the meat, then sprinkled Grillmates Montreal Chicken (by McCormick) on top. Then, bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. They were a wonderful compliment to the salad. I made extra chicken for leftovers later in the week, too. My hubby chopped up his chicken and put it right in the salad.
Caesar Salad (Slim & Sexy book, pg. 183) with Baked Chicken Breasts.
Making your own Caesar salad dressing really makes a difference. It was so flavorful, but fresh tasting at the same time. I could have eaten double, it was that good. This recipe calls for anchovies, which I didn't use because I'm not a fan. I added a little sea salt instead.
Suzanne suggests dipping the hearts of romaine in the dressing so you can enjoy scrumptious mouthfuls, which I really enjoyed. My hubby preferred to break up the romaine and pour the dressing over it. Either way, it was fabulous. The next time I make it I'm going to increase the dressing so I have some on hand for the following week. Just don't add the egg until you're ready to eat it.
This recipe calls for: cracked peppercorns, 1/3 cup EVOO, grated Parmesan cheese, one egg boiled for 1-1/2 minutes, 3 tbls. red wine vinegar, 2 tbls. fresh lemon juice, 1 tbls. pureed garlic, 2 teas. dry mustard, 1 teas. celery salt, 3 dashes Tabasco sauce, 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, romaine lettuce or hearts of romaine.
To make the chicken breasts, I basted EVOO all over the meat, then sprinkled Grillmates Montreal Chicken (by McCormick) on top. Then, bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. They were a wonderful compliment to the salad. I made extra chicken for leftovers later in the week, too. My hubby chopped up his chicken and put it right in the salad.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Stuffed Bells plus Zucchini & Green Tomato Fritta
The Crock Pot Does All The Work For The Stuffed Bells
What's nice about this dish is that I prepared the meat stuffing the night before to save time. Then, in the morning I stuffed the peppers and let them roast in a slow cooker, on low, for 7 hours. I used 6 peppers; 2 green, 2 red, and 2 yellow peppers (enough for dinner and 2 lunches). You'll find the recipe on Suzanne's web site.
While they were very good, they needed a little more flavor. I think adding additional crushed tomatoes during the last 15-20 minutes would have helped. As, a lot of the juices flowed to the bottom of the slow cooker. And, I think 7 hours was too long because the larger peppers fell apart as I was taking them out of the slow cooker.
I did miss the rice, typically found in stuffed peppers, but the addition of mushrooms and canned green chili's were a nice change. Also, when I re-heated the remaining bells for lunch, I added more sauce and a sprinkle of Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick to add a little more punch. And, it was just what they needed. They were fabulous!
As a side dish, I sauteed some sliced prosciutto and kale in some EVOO. Start the kale first, and saute for 5 minutes. Then add the prosciutto for another 5 minutes, or so.
Zucchini & Green Tomato Fritta (pg. 209) and two turkey sausage links.
Before Suzanne Somers I never had a fritta before, but this was another outstanding breakfast dish. It makes 6 servings, so that will last us for the next two breakfasts. The portions are smaller than I thought they'd be based on other Suzanne Somers meals, so I'd recommend adding an extra egg (or two) if you're sharing this meal with a man, like I am. They need a little more to eat.
The caramelized onions and shredded zucchini, mixed with eggs, were very satisfying as a breakfast entree. Basically, you sautee the onions and zucchini. Then add the beaten eggs; let them sit for a couple minutes. Then, put the pan in the oven to finish them off.
And, if you can find them, the green tomatoes mixed with heirloom tomatoes were crisp and fresh and made a surprisingly enjoyable side dish.
What's nice about this dish is that I prepared the meat stuffing the night before to save time. Then, in the morning I stuffed the peppers and let them roast in a slow cooker, on low, for 7 hours. I used 6 peppers; 2 green, 2 red, and 2 yellow peppers (enough for dinner and 2 lunches). You'll find the recipe on Suzanne's web site.
While they were very good, they needed a little more flavor. I think adding additional crushed tomatoes during the last 15-20 minutes would have helped. As, a lot of the juices flowed to the bottom of the slow cooker. And, I think 7 hours was too long because the larger peppers fell apart as I was taking them out of the slow cooker.
I did miss the rice, typically found in stuffed peppers, but the addition of mushrooms and canned green chili's were a nice change. Also, when I re-heated the remaining bells for lunch, I added more sauce and a sprinkle of Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick to add a little more punch. And, it was just what they needed. They were fabulous!
As a side dish, I sauteed some sliced prosciutto and kale in some EVOO. Start the kale first, and saute for 5 minutes. Then add the prosciutto for another 5 minutes, or so.
Zucchini & Green Tomato Fritta (pg. 209) and two turkey sausage links.
Before Suzanne Somers I never had a fritta before, but this was another outstanding breakfast dish. It makes 6 servings, so that will last us for the next two breakfasts. The portions are smaller than I thought they'd be based on other Suzanne Somers meals, so I'd recommend adding an extra egg (or two) if you're sharing this meal with a man, like I am. They need a little more to eat.
The caramelized onions and shredded zucchini, mixed with eggs, were very satisfying as a breakfast entree. Basically, you sautee the onions and zucchini. Then add the beaten eggs; let them sit for a couple minutes. Then, put the pan in the oven to finish them off.
And, if you can find them, the green tomatoes mixed with heirloom tomatoes were crisp and fresh and made a surprisingly enjoyable side dish.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burger and Chopped Italian Salad
Your Stomach Will Thank You
I prepared the meals below for dinner, and had enough for two lunches, as well. They complimented each other extremely well because I didn't miss the bun.
Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burger (pg. 259). I chose this meal so I'd be sure to use up some fresh mozzarella I had in the refrigerator. Basically, you chop some fresh basil, mix it into the ground turkey, make patties, and then stuff a good chunk of mozzarella into the center. I made enough for 3 meals (three 6-ounce patties and three 8-ounce patties for the hubby). Again, this meal was a home run. I did add a teaspoon of sugar-free ketchup on the side, and dipped each piece into it.
Chopped Italian Salad (pg. 172 in 'Sexy Forever"). First, I made my own vinegar and oil dressing (enough for 3 days). Suzanne would be proud (see below). Then, to the chopped greens I added small chunks of Genoa salami (I had the deli department slice it 1/4" thick), fresh mozzarella, green onions, and pepperoncini. I didn't know what pepperoncini was, so I did an online search. Basically, it's an Italian or Greek sweet pepper and you can find them in a jar next to the olives and pickles.
This salad was out of this world, mainly because I love Genoa. And the homemade dressing was simply devine. It really made a difference over store bought stuff.
Italian Vinaigrette
3/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
Kosher salt and ground white pepper (ground black pepper)
Place all ingredients in a blender or jar with a lid. Mix (or shake) for about 10 seconds. Let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Then give it a good shake before serving.
I prepared the meals below for dinner, and had enough for two lunches, as well. They complimented each other extremely well because I didn't miss the bun.
Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burger (pg. 259). I chose this meal so I'd be sure to use up some fresh mozzarella I had in the refrigerator. Basically, you chop some fresh basil, mix it into the ground turkey, make patties, and then stuff a good chunk of mozzarella into the center. I made enough for 3 meals (three 6-ounce patties and three 8-ounce patties for the hubby). Again, this meal was a home run. I did add a teaspoon of sugar-free ketchup on the side, and dipped each piece into it.
Chopped Italian Salad (pg. 172 in 'Sexy Forever"). First, I made my own vinegar and oil dressing (enough for 3 days). Suzanne would be proud (see below). Then, to the chopped greens I added small chunks of Genoa salami (I had the deli department slice it 1/4" thick), fresh mozzarella, green onions, and pepperoncini. I didn't know what pepperoncini was, so I did an online search. Basically, it's an Italian or Greek sweet pepper and you can find them in a jar next to the olives and pickles.
This salad was out of this world, mainly because I love Genoa. And the homemade dressing was simply devine. It really made a difference over store bought stuff.
Italian Vinaigrette
3/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
Kosher salt and ground white pepper (ground black pepper)
Place all ingredients in a blender or jar with a lid. Mix (or shake) for about 10 seconds. Let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Then give it a good shake before serving.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
It's Weigh-In Day
My Scale Has Dust On It
It's been eight weeks since I weighed myself due to my summer routine. Which really means, I haven't been following the Sexy Forever Plan too closely. Last week I got on the scale and discovered that I gained 2 pounds. So, I've jumped back on the Sexy Forever band wagon.
It took some adjusting, but for the most part I followed the plan this week. I must confess that I had a couple of alcoholic drinks over the Labor Day weekend, plus some strawberry shortcake ... and that's not on the plan. As a result, the scale didn't move. I still need to lose those pesky 12 pounds.
I'm just about finished with my meal plan for the week, and will be heading off to the grocery store later. Hopefully, I'll have better "scale" results at the end of the week.
Here are a couple new cards I created for Sugar Notes. What do you think? I'm testing out some mixed media designs.
It's been eight weeks since I weighed myself due to my summer routine. Which really means, I haven't been following the Sexy Forever Plan too closely. Last week I got on the scale and discovered that I gained 2 pounds. So, I've jumped back on the Sexy Forever band wagon.
It took some adjusting, but for the most part I followed the plan this week. I must confess that I had a couple of alcoholic drinks over the Labor Day weekend, plus some strawberry shortcake ... and that's not on the plan. As a result, the scale didn't move. I still need to lose those pesky 12 pounds.
I'm just about finished with my meal plan for the week, and will be heading off to the grocery store later. Hopefully, I'll have better "scale" results at the end of the week.
Here are a couple new cards I created for Sugar Notes. What do you think? I'm testing out some mixed media designs.
You can order these cards at: www.SugarNotes.etsy.com
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Pork Chops and Taco Salad
As I've mentioned many times, when preparing meals I always make enough for several meals. That way you don't have to cook so much. Plus, because there's something ready in the refrigerator, it cuts down on the urge to cheat.
Taco Salad - Lunch
Start by browning ground chuck; I used 12 ounces for me and 16 ounces for my hubby. That's enough for two meals (one for later). Then I added taco seasonings and 3/4 cup of water to make a sauce. Next, I put a cup of shredded lettuce in a bowl, added some fresh tomato salsa I purchased in the dairy case, an ounce of shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and topped it with 6 ounces (8 ounces for hubby) of the meat mixture. It was yummy and very satisfying. In fact, it felt like I was cheating. NOTE: To take this meal to Level 1, you can add sliced black olives.
Pork Chops - Dinner
I will admit that before Suzanne Somers, I wasn't the most creative cook on a daily basis. Usually, when I made pork chops I threw them in the pan and fried them until browned. But, tonight I made them the Suzanne Somers way and they were fabulous! Maybe I've just been cooking under a rock, but I've never been told to add olive oil to the pan. Jeeze, they've got enough fat coming out of them during the cooking process!
It doesn't make sense, especially when you're dieting, to add more fat. But, this is healthy fat, according to Suzanne, so I went with it. Mix together 1 Tbl. olive oil, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, and a teaspoon of thyme (pg. 172 in the book). Then, get your pan screaming hot, baste one side of the pork chop and place it basted side down in the pan. Then, baste the top side with the remaining mixture. Then, turn the heat to medium and let it rip until both sides are browned and the inside is done.
We couldn't believe how moist our pork chops tasted, not to mention the fabulous flavor. Usually, pork chops tend to be a little dry. But eating these made us feel guilty and silly at the same time. Yum-oh!
Oh, and our veggie side dish was fresh cauliflower that I tossed with a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), balsamic vinegar, and marjoram. I put it in the oven (450 degrees) for 10 minutes, then sprinkled 1/2 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese on it and baked for an additional 5 minutes. Plain old cauliflower never tasted so good. What a great compliment to the pork chops.
Can't wait to eat everything again, as leftovers!
Taco Salad - Lunch
Start by browning ground chuck; I used 12 ounces for me and 16 ounces for my hubby. That's enough for two meals (one for later). Then I added taco seasonings and 3/4 cup of water to make a sauce. Next, I put a cup of shredded lettuce in a bowl, added some fresh tomato salsa I purchased in the dairy case, an ounce of shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and topped it with 6 ounces (8 ounces for hubby) of the meat mixture. It was yummy and very satisfying. In fact, it felt like I was cheating. NOTE: To take this meal to Level 1, you can add sliced black olives.
Pork Chops - Dinner
I will admit that before Suzanne Somers, I wasn't the most creative cook on a daily basis. Usually, when I made pork chops I threw them in the pan and fried them until browned. But, tonight I made them the Suzanne Somers way and they were fabulous! Maybe I've just been cooking under a rock, but I've never been told to add olive oil to the pan. Jeeze, they've got enough fat coming out of them during the cooking process!
It doesn't make sense, especially when you're dieting, to add more fat. But, this is healthy fat, according to Suzanne, so I went with it. Mix together 1 Tbl. olive oil, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, and a teaspoon of thyme (pg. 172 in the book). Then, get your pan screaming hot, baste one side of the pork chop and place it basted side down in the pan. Then, baste the top side with the remaining mixture. Then, turn the heat to medium and let it rip until both sides are browned and the inside is done.
We couldn't believe how moist our pork chops tasted, not to mention the fabulous flavor. Usually, pork chops tend to be a little dry. But eating these made us feel guilty and silly at the same time. Yum-oh!
Oh, and our veggie side dish was fresh cauliflower that I tossed with a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), balsamic vinegar, and marjoram. I put it in the oven (450 degrees) for 10 minutes, then sprinkled 1/2 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese on it and baked for an additional 5 minutes. Plain old cauliflower never tasted so good. What a great compliment to the pork chops.
Can't wait to eat everything again, as leftovers!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Baked Italian Sausage & Crunchy Coleslaw
Labor Day Weekend
We grilled out on Sunday, and made several meals at one time. A real time-saver. I always like to make lots of extra things so there are plenty of leftovers. My hubby put four steaks on the grill, along with some sliced yellow squash that I seasoned with EVOO and McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning. While that was cooking, I made the coleslaw, below. Then, on Labor Day, all I had to make was the Italian sausage, and paired it with the coleslaw I already made.
Between the extra steaks and squash from Sunday, we will have meals (lunch & dinner) for Tuesday, as well.
Baked Italian Sausage (from SS web site) and Crunchy Coleslaw (from SS web site).
NOTE: The recipe is confusing because it serves 4 but calls for 8 links of Italian sausage. To clear things up I contacted the administrator of Suzanne's web site and he recommended getting brat-sized Italian sausage that are approximately 6 ounces each. I found a package of Johnsonville Italian sausages that fit the bill. So, basically, it's one brat sized sausage per serving.
This meal is definitely on our "top 5" list, as it was absolutely stupendous and utterly delicious. It was so fantastic that you didn't even miss the bun!!! I highly recommend that you go to Suzanne's web site and print off both of these recipes.
Basically, you saute sliced onions plus red and green peppers. Then, in another pan cook the sausage until browned. After the sausage is done, let them cool slightly. Then slice the cooled sausage into bite-sized pieces and add them to the sauteed veggies and cook for 4 minutes.
The coleslaw is divine too because you use 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/2 cup mayo for the base, along with a few other ingredients. I can't tell you what a difference the sour cream makes, along with a couple other unusual ingredients like fennel, Tabasco sauce, and celery seeds.
I'm not usually a big fan of coleslaw, but this recipe made me one. It also worked extremely well with the baked Italian sausage. A perfect summer meal! And, one that had us thinking ... this meal can't be on any weight loss plan ... can it?
We grilled out on Sunday, and made several meals at one time. A real time-saver. I always like to make lots of extra things so there are plenty of leftovers. My hubby put four steaks on the grill, along with some sliced yellow squash that I seasoned with EVOO and McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning. While that was cooking, I made the coleslaw, below. Then, on Labor Day, all I had to make was the Italian sausage, and paired it with the coleslaw I already made.
Between the extra steaks and squash from Sunday, we will have meals (lunch & dinner) for Tuesday, as well.
Baked Italian Sausage (from SS web site) and Crunchy Coleslaw (from SS web site).
NOTE: The recipe is confusing because it serves 4 but calls for 8 links of Italian sausage. To clear things up I contacted the administrator of Suzanne's web site and he recommended getting brat-sized Italian sausage that are approximately 6 ounces each. I found a package of Johnsonville Italian sausages that fit the bill. So, basically, it's one brat sized sausage per serving.
This meal is definitely on our "top 5" list, as it was absolutely stupendous and utterly delicious. It was so fantastic that you didn't even miss the bun!!! I highly recommend that you go to Suzanne's web site and print off both of these recipes.
Basically, you saute sliced onions plus red and green peppers. Then, in another pan cook the sausage until browned. After the sausage is done, let them cool slightly. Then slice the cooled sausage into bite-sized pieces and add them to the sauteed veggies and cook for 4 minutes.
The coleslaw is divine too because you use 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/2 cup mayo for the base, along with a few other ingredients. I can't tell you what a difference the sour cream makes, along with a couple other unusual ingredients like fennel, Tabasco sauce, and celery seeds.
I'm not usually a big fan of coleslaw, but this recipe made me one. It also worked extremely well with the baked Italian sausage. A perfect summer meal! And, one that had us thinking ... this meal can't be on any weight loss plan ... can it?
Thursday, September 1, 2011
I'm Back!
Hi Everyone!
It's been way too long since my last post, and I'm sorry about that ... really I am. I've been very busy creating a brand new line of greeting cards for Sugar Notes ... on top of making Christmas cards. Plus, we took a little vacation. And, the mold season is in full force here in Florida. So, I've had more than my share of allergy headaches that have sidelined me more than usual.
Bottom line: I haven't been following Suzanne's Plan like I should ... and therefore I gained two pounds. When you last heard from me, I had 10 pounds to go. Well, now it's 12 pounds.
What I have learned: If I could share one lesson, it's this: You need a plan. Just winging it only leads to trouble.
Wandering the grocery store, without a set meal plan makes for unbalanced meals. It's very important that you eat all the proper servings of fruits, veggies, protein, and good fat ... each and every day.
While I haven't really cheated too much, I have been lax on eating all my snacks. I don't always eat my required amount of veggies each day. And, I've been grabbing stuff when I'm hungry ... while not worrying about balancing it properly.
I thought I was doing okay ... but clearly ... to lose weight I have to follow Suzanne's Plan much more closely. And that means preparing a meal plan for the week and stocking the refrigerator correctly. It's a lot of work, but so worth it in the end.
My goal is to get back on track by the end of the week. Get my weekly groceries this weekend, and start-anew.
Are you with me?
It's been way too long since my last post, and I'm sorry about that ... really I am. I've been very busy creating a brand new line of greeting cards for Sugar Notes ... on top of making Christmas cards. Plus, we took a little vacation. And, the mold season is in full force here in Florida. So, I've had more than my share of allergy headaches that have sidelined me more than usual.
Bottom line: I haven't been following Suzanne's Plan like I should ... and therefore I gained two pounds. When you last heard from me, I had 10 pounds to go. Well, now it's 12 pounds.
What I have learned: If I could share one lesson, it's this: You need a plan. Just winging it only leads to trouble.
Wandering the grocery store, without a set meal plan makes for unbalanced meals. It's very important that you eat all the proper servings of fruits, veggies, protein, and good fat ... each and every day.
While I haven't really cheated too much, I have been lax on eating all my snacks. I don't always eat my required amount of veggies each day. And, I've been grabbing stuff when I'm hungry ... while not worrying about balancing it properly.
I thought I was doing okay ... but clearly ... to lose weight I have to follow Suzanne's Plan much more closely. And that means preparing a meal plan for the week and stocking the refrigerator correctly. It's a lot of work, but so worth it in the end.
My goal is to get back on track by the end of the week. Get my weekly groceries this weekend, and start-anew.
Are you with me?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Update
I'm Taking A Little Break
For those of you who have been following my Sexy Forever Blog, you probably noticed that I haven't been posting for quite some time. There are some reasons for that, and I'd like to explain.
First, I suffer from migraines and mold induced headaches. This time of year is brutal for me because we're transitioning to the rainy season here in Florida. This always results in numerous headaches which keep me down, on and off, for one to two weeks.
Second, I have noticed that my daily blog visits are down significantly. In addition, Suzanne's web site activity is also down. I attribute this to summer. And, with that comes vacations, outdoor fun, and kids being home.
Finally, because of my headaches I am behind when it comes to my greeting card business, Sugar Notes. My priority is my business, so any spare time must be devoted to those efforts, which I'm sure you can understand.
Therefore, I am taking a break. My plan is to resume posting daily blogs in mid-August. In the meantime I encourage you to re-visit some of my old blogs listed in the archives at the bottom of this page for recipe ideas and motivation.
Happy summer to you all.
Cathy
For those of you who have been following my Sexy Forever Blog, you probably noticed that I haven't been posting for quite some time. There are some reasons for that, and I'd like to explain.
First, I suffer from migraines and mold induced headaches. This time of year is brutal for me because we're transitioning to the rainy season here in Florida. This always results in numerous headaches which keep me down, on and off, for one to two weeks.
Second, I have noticed that my daily blog visits are down significantly. In addition, Suzanne's web site activity is also down. I attribute this to summer. And, with that comes vacations, outdoor fun, and kids being home.
Finally, because of my headaches I am behind when it comes to my greeting card business, Sugar Notes. My priority is my business, so any spare time must be devoted to those efforts, which I'm sure you can understand.
Therefore, I am taking a break. My plan is to resume posting daily blogs in mid-August. In the meantime I encourage you to re-visit some of my old blogs listed in the archives at the bottom of this page for recipe ideas and motivation.
Happy summer to you all.
Cathy
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Day 3 - Ten Pounds To Go
The Casey Anthony Trial Is Heating Up
While I have admitted to my guilty pleasure of watching the Casey Trial, it's even more addicting now. The defense is reaching the end of it's case and the fireworks are sure to commence during closing arguments expected to start in a day or two.
Unless the defense, at the last hour, decides to put Casey on the stand, the rebuttal case and closing arguments will air Saturday. And, in a surprise announcement, Sunday, too. This judge wants to get this done, and I appreciate it because I need to get back to my normal life. Lots of late nights have resulted because of this trial. My days are disjointed because I'm not getting my Sugar Notes business completed during the day.
But, more importantly ... something had to give. And I'm admitting to you today that my exercising routine has suffered. I usually exercise every-other-day. And that's not happening. It's very sporadic these days. Hopefully, this trial will be over next week, because I can't stop myself from watching. And it seems everyone in Florida is doing the same. We're all very tired people.
Here's my meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Cereal with non-fat milk.
AM Snack - Fruit smoothie
Lunch - Chicken Lettuce Wraps (SS web site). I used some leftover chicken breast from last night for these lettuce wraps. However, I felt the wraps were a little bland. They needed something other than mayonnaise to zip it up.
Basically, you spread some mayo on large lettuce leaves, then fill with diced chicken, green pepper, red onion, and cucumbers. I'm not a big fan of raw onions, and the combination wasn't the most exciting. I think I'll use the ingredients tomorrow to make a salad.
PM Snack - Whole grain Wasa crisp and natural salsa from the deli. This snack is always a hit with me.
Dinner - Beef Stroganoff (SS web site). This dish replaces the traditional noodles, or fettuccine, with sauteed spinach. Plus, Suzanne adds a very unusual ingredient to the cream sauce . . . dill pickles and pickle juice.
I was attracted to the recipe because of the dill pickles because I love them. Plus, I have always enjoyed beef stroganoff. However, this dish was a little disappointing.
The meat and cream sauce are wonderful. I loved the addition of the dill to the cream and mushroom-based sauce. And, of course, tenderloin steak is always a treat. However, to keep costs down, I used 1 pound of tenderloin and 1-1/2 pounds of sirloin to make this dish.
My problem with this dish was the spinach. It gave the dish a disjointed taste. In other words, they didn't go together. Or, at least, that's my opinion. I should mention that I like spinach. That wasn't the problem.
I also need to mention that you'll need 3 large saucepans to pepare this dish. My stove has 2 large burners and 2 small burners, so it was a little tricky to make this dish. I'd recommend a plug-in skillet for those of you with the same type of stove top as it was a bit crowded. Plus, there's lots of clean-up, too.
When I serve this dish as a leftover I'm going to eliminate the spinach. It was too powerful for the wonderful sauce and beef combination. I think something like a light salad or steamed cauliflower would be better.
While I have admitted to my guilty pleasure of watching the Casey Trial, it's even more addicting now. The defense is reaching the end of it's case and the fireworks are sure to commence during closing arguments expected to start in a day or two.
Unless the defense, at the last hour, decides to put Casey on the stand, the rebuttal case and closing arguments will air Saturday. And, in a surprise announcement, Sunday, too. This judge wants to get this done, and I appreciate it because I need to get back to my normal life. Lots of late nights have resulted because of this trial. My days are disjointed because I'm not getting my Sugar Notes business completed during the day.
But, more importantly ... something had to give. And I'm admitting to you today that my exercising routine has suffered. I usually exercise every-other-day. And that's not happening. It's very sporadic these days. Hopefully, this trial will be over next week, because I can't stop myself from watching. And it seems everyone in Florida is doing the same. We're all very tired people.
Here's my meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Cereal with non-fat milk.
AM Snack - Fruit smoothie
Lunch - Chicken Lettuce Wraps (SS web site). I used some leftover chicken breast from last night for these lettuce wraps. However, I felt the wraps were a little bland. They needed something other than mayonnaise to zip it up.
Basically, you spread some mayo on large lettuce leaves, then fill with diced chicken, green pepper, red onion, and cucumbers. I'm not a big fan of raw onions, and the combination wasn't the most exciting. I think I'll use the ingredients tomorrow to make a salad.
PM Snack - Whole grain Wasa crisp and natural salsa from the deli. This snack is always a hit with me.
Dinner - Beef Stroganoff (SS web site). This dish replaces the traditional noodles, or fettuccine, with sauteed spinach. Plus, Suzanne adds a very unusual ingredient to the cream sauce . . . dill pickles and pickle juice.
I was attracted to the recipe because of the dill pickles because I love them. Plus, I have always enjoyed beef stroganoff. However, this dish was a little disappointing.
The meat and cream sauce are wonderful. I loved the addition of the dill to the cream and mushroom-based sauce. And, of course, tenderloin steak is always a treat. However, to keep costs down, I used 1 pound of tenderloin and 1-1/2 pounds of sirloin to make this dish.
My problem with this dish was the spinach. It gave the dish a disjointed taste. In other words, they didn't go together. Or, at least, that's my opinion. I should mention that I like spinach. That wasn't the problem.
I also need to mention that you'll need 3 large saucepans to pepare this dish. My stove has 2 large burners and 2 small burners, so it was a little tricky to make this dish. I'd recommend a plug-in skillet for those of you with the same type of stove top as it was a bit crowded. Plus, there's lots of clean-up, too.
When I serve this dish as a leftover I'm going to eliminate the spinach. It was too powerful for the wonderful sauce and beef combination. I think something like a light salad or steamed cauliflower would be better.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Weekly Planner for Detox - Days 15 - 21
Here's Another Weekly Planner
As I mentioned last week, I'm going to start posting my weekly meal plans while on the Sexy Forever program. I started with my first week of meals in the Detox level and I'm going in sequence from there. I plan on posting my meal plans once per week.
Below is the meal plan for days 15-21 while in the Detox level. You'll see that it includes information as to whether I got the recipe in one of Suzanne's books or her web site. In addition, I indicate how many servings to prepare for each recipe to help you plan your shopping list. And. also, which meals are to be used as leftovers.
Finally, you can reference my blog archives to read my recipes reviews, tips, and preparation information regarding may daily meals for this weekly meal plan. Also, please keep in mind that my meal plans were prepared for two adults; myself and my husband.
Detox Level - Days 1 through 7 (meals are for 2 adults)
As I mentioned last week, I'm going to start posting my weekly meal plans while on the Sexy Forever program. I started with my first week of meals in the Detox level and I'm going in sequence from there. I plan on posting my meal plans once per week.
Below is the meal plan for days 15-21 while in the Detox level. You'll see that it includes information as to whether I got the recipe in one of Suzanne's books or her web site. In addition, I indicate how many servings to prepare for each recipe to help you plan your shopping list. And. also, which meals are to be used as leftovers.
Finally, you can reference my blog archives to read my recipes reviews, tips, and preparation information regarding may daily meals for this weekly meal plan. Also, please keep in mind that my meal plans were prepared for two adults; myself and my husband.
Detox Level - Days 1 through 7 (meals are for 2 adults)
| Day | Meals | Prep |
| Saturday Day 15 | B- (Exercise) Zucchini & Green Tomato Frittata (Pg. 209) and turkey sausage links L - Chicken Patty Picata (pg. 258) and Roasted Tomato Soup (Slim & Sexy pg. 166) D - Chopped Antipasto Salad (pg. 226) Snacks: AM - fruit PM - cheese | I made 6 servings of the frittata and chicken patties. I made 4 servings of the soup and antipasto salad. |
| Sunday Day 16 | B- Leftover Frittata from day 15 and sausage L - Pea soup at Universal/Harry Potter D - Southwest Roasted Chicken (pg. 256) and sauteed broccoli Snacks: AM - fruit PM - Butterbeer | The roasted chicken made 8 servings or 4 meals. |
| Monday Day 17 | B- (Exercise) Leftover Frittata and sausage from Day 15 L - Chicken Patty & Tomato Soup from day 15 D - Beef Tenderloin Medallions (pg. 272) and sautéed mushrooms and onions (pg. 235) and small salad Snacks: AM - fruit PM - granola bar | I made 2 servings of the beef tenderloin. |
| Tuesday Day 18 | B- Quinoa L - Chopped Antipasto Salad D - Chicken Patty and sautéed broccoli Snacks: AM - apple PM - cheese | Make enough quinoa for 2 meals. |
| Wednesday Day 19 | B- (Exercise) Quinoa L - leftover Antipasto salad from day 15 D - Leftover Roasted chicken from day 16 and sautéed yellow squash Snacks: AM - fruit PM - skinless almonds | The antipasto salad actually yielded 5 servings instead of 4. |
| Thursday Day 20 | B- Fruit smoothie L - Roasted chicken from day 16 and cauliflower D - Chipotle-glazed Pork & Candied Tomato Salsa (Slim & Sexy pg. 254) AM snack - whole grain bread & peanut butter PM snack - hard boiled egg | I made 8 servings of the pork & salsa. I will use 4 servings for the upcoming week. |
| Friday Day 21 | B- (Exercise) Fruit; quinoa L - Leftover Roasted chicken from day 16 and salad D - Chipotle-glazed Pork & Salsa from day 20 and roasted cauliflower Snacks: fruit for both equaling 3 servings |
Monday, June 27, 2011
Day 1 - Ten Pounds To Go
The Last 10 Pounds
You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my blog entries. Up until today my blog entries were titled in relation to the days I have been in Level 1. However, now that I'm so close to reaching my goal, I'm changing the daily blog titles to reflect the days associated with the last 10 pounds.
I'm doing this for two reasons:
1. I'm hoping this change will be a motivator for me. From past experience, I am well aware of the pitfalls that can occur during the last 10 pounds. This is a critical stage and it's very easy to lose focus.
2. I also hope that this change will be a motivator for my blog followers, as well. In other words, if I can do it, you can do it, too! Or, on the flip side, if I start to slide and lose focus, perhaps we can motivate each other to get back on track.
With that said, below is my meal plan for today. As you will see, I didn't start the last leg of my weight loss journey very strongly.
Breakfast - Zucchini and Green Tomato Frittata (SS web site) plus breakfast sausages. This breakfast was another wonderful frittata recipe from Suzanne. However, I must mention that the green tomatoes were not in the frittata. But instead a side dish.
The frittata has sauteed onions with grated zucchini added 10 minutes later. Then, some herbs and the beaten eggs are added and finished in the oven. The tomatoes are simply cut into chunks and drizzled with EVOO plus salt & pepper. They complimented frittata very well.
AM Snack - Hot Apple with Cinnamon (SS web site). I've made this many times and it's extremely satisfying.
Lunch - The last of the Jalepeno Chili from day 113. As I've mentioned before, this recipe indicates that it will yield 10 servings, but it actually made 12. Earlier this week I froze two of them for a later use.
PM Snack - slice of cheese.
Dinner - I didn't get my act together and therefore wasn't able to plan our upcoming meals. Consequently, I didn't have anything in the house for supper as everything was frozen. So, we had a sub sandwich from Subway. One of the "Jared" varieties.
I also had a gin and tonic because my hubby thought we should celebrate my achievement. And, while it's not on the plan, I think it's okay to give yourself a reward once in a while when warranted. And, I think this day was worth celebrating, don't you?
In addition, I did complete my meal plan and will be grocery shopping tomorrow.
You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my blog entries. Up until today my blog entries were titled in relation to the days I have been in Level 1. However, now that I'm so close to reaching my goal, I'm changing the daily blog titles to reflect the days associated with the last 10 pounds.
I'm doing this for two reasons:
1. I'm hoping this change will be a motivator for me. From past experience, I am well aware of the pitfalls that can occur during the last 10 pounds. This is a critical stage and it's very easy to lose focus.
2. I also hope that this change will be a motivator for my blog followers, as well. In other words, if I can do it, you can do it, too! Or, on the flip side, if I start to slide and lose focus, perhaps we can motivate each other to get back on track.
With that said, below is my meal plan for today. As you will see, I didn't start the last leg of my weight loss journey very strongly.
Breakfast - Zucchini and Green Tomato Frittata (SS web site) plus breakfast sausages. This breakfast was another wonderful frittata recipe from Suzanne. However, I must mention that the green tomatoes were not in the frittata. But instead a side dish.
The frittata has sauteed onions with grated zucchini added 10 minutes later. Then, some herbs and the beaten eggs are added and finished in the oven. The tomatoes are simply cut into chunks and drizzled with EVOO plus salt & pepper. They complimented frittata very well.
AM Snack - Hot Apple with Cinnamon (SS web site). I've made this many times and it's extremely satisfying.
Lunch - The last of the Jalepeno Chili from day 113. As I've mentioned before, this recipe indicates that it will yield 10 servings, but it actually made 12. Earlier this week I froze two of them for a later use.
PM Snack - slice of cheese.
Dinner - I didn't get my act together and therefore wasn't able to plan our upcoming meals. Consequently, I didn't have anything in the house for supper as everything was frozen. So, we had a sub sandwich from Subway. One of the "Jared" varieties.
I also had a gin and tonic because my hubby thought we should celebrate my achievement. And, while it's not on the plan, I think it's okay to give yourself a reward once in a while when warranted. And, I think this day was worth celebrating, don't you?
In addition, I did complete my meal plan and will be grocery shopping tomorrow.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Level 1 - Day 115 (Milestone weigh-in)
Oh, Happy Day!
After 20 weeks on the Sexy Forever plan, I'm beside myself with excitement. While I only lost one pound this week, I'm thrilled to report that my total weight loss is 20 pounds! And that's significant because it means I'm two-thirds of the way to my goal of losing 30 pounds. With only 10 pounds to go . . . boy does that sound good . . . I know I'm going to have to dig deep to stay the course.
I think those last 10 pounds can be extremely hard, yet dangerous at the same time. It's that tricky time when your mind plays games with you. The little voice in your head starts negotiating with you to cheat a little ... saying things like, "go ahead and eat that piece of cake because you deserve it for your hard work". You all know what I'm talking about.
Then, on the flip side, I think that weight loss slows down when you get close to your goal. It's only natural. Plus, there's always the chance that you may reach a plateau, which is not only frustrating . . . but dangerous, too.
I've been this close before, and I'm sure you have been too. So, I'm going to dig deep and see if I can knock these 10 pounds out before they knock me out.
Oh, and by the way, my hubby didn't lose any weight this week, but he's been in that danger zone for many weeks now. With only 8 pounds to go he has fallen for the voices in his head many times and cheats quite regularly. Nothing really bad, but it adds up by the end of the week.
Today is also a wonderful day because it's all about leftovers today. I love days like that because it means no kitchen work.
Breakfast - cereal
AM Snack - Hot Apple With Cinnamon (SS web site). Basically, you sprinkle some cinnamon and SomerSweet on a sliced apple and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. It's really a yummy treat.
Lunch - Leftover Jalapeno Chili from Day 113. This recipe indicates that it will make 10 servings. But, in reality it makes 12 servings, so I put the extra two servings in the freezer for a rainy day.
PM Snack - Another Zucchini Muffin from Day 112. I'm going to miss these little morsels of yummy-ness. But, we've got enough left for 2 more days. Yeah!
Dinner - Leftover Pork Ribs from Day 112, plus I had a cucumber left over in the fridge, so I sliced it up.
After 20 weeks on the Sexy Forever plan, I'm beside myself with excitement. While I only lost one pound this week, I'm thrilled to report that my total weight loss is 20 pounds! And that's significant because it means I'm two-thirds of the way to my goal of losing 30 pounds. With only 10 pounds to go . . . boy does that sound good . . . I know I'm going to have to dig deep to stay the course.
I think those last 10 pounds can be extremely hard, yet dangerous at the same time. It's that tricky time when your mind plays games with you. The little voice in your head starts negotiating with you to cheat a little ... saying things like, "go ahead and eat that piece of cake because you deserve it for your hard work". You all know what I'm talking about.
Then, on the flip side, I think that weight loss slows down when you get close to your goal. It's only natural. Plus, there's always the chance that you may reach a plateau, which is not only frustrating . . . but dangerous, too.
I've been this close before, and I'm sure you have been too. So, I'm going to dig deep and see if I can knock these 10 pounds out before they knock me out.
Oh, and by the way, my hubby didn't lose any weight this week, but he's been in that danger zone for many weeks now. With only 8 pounds to go he has fallen for the voices in his head many times and cheats quite regularly. Nothing really bad, but it adds up by the end of the week.
Today is also a wonderful day because it's all about leftovers today. I love days like that because it means no kitchen work.
Breakfast - cereal
AM Snack - Hot Apple With Cinnamon (SS web site). Basically, you sprinkle some cinnamon and SomerSweet on a sliced apple and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. It's really a yummy treat.
Lunch - Leftover Jalapeno Chili from Day 113. This recipe indicates that it will make 10 servings. But, in reality it makes 12 servings, so I put the extra two servings in the freezer for a rainy day.
PM Snack - Another Zucchini Muffin from Day 112. I'm going to miss these little morsels of yummy-ness. But, we've got enough left for 2 more days. Yeah!
Dinner - Leftover Pork Ribs from Day 112, plus I had a cucumber left over in the fridge, so I sliced it up.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Level 1 - Day 114
Green Tea Could Yield A Big Payoff
Yesterday I talked about the importance of drinking water and the best time to drink water. To follow up, Suzanne rdecently posted some wonderful information I didn't know about green tea . . . which also counts towards your daily water intake. After reading Suzanne's posting I think this is something everyone should consider. Below is part of the article by Suzanne.
"Green tea has received a lot of good buzz in the press over the past few years, as studies show that the antioxidant-rich drink could have beneficial effects on everything from heart health to cancer prevention. And green tea can play a key role in the success of your Sexy Forever Plan. It can boost your metabolic rate by 4 percent for 24 hours after you ingest it; plus, it elevates your adrenaline for an extended period of time, giving you more energy for your daily activities (including exercise) and helping your body unlock and use stored body fat. (And, a bonus: It may even prevent your body from absorbing additional fat from your food!)"
In addition Suzanne said that you need to drink 2-3 cups of green tea, per day, to reap the benefits. Plus, you need to drink it early in the day because the adrenaline boost can make it tough to sleep. However, drinking it in the morning will help rev you up for the day ahead. Finally, if you're indulging in a big, saturated-fat feast, a little green tea beforehand can help you avoid digesting (and storing) all of those fat calories.
Breakfast - Small peach; then exercise. Then, a frozen gluten-free waffle and natural peanut butter.
AM Snack - Zucchini Muffin from day 112. Be sure to nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds to get that out-of-the-oven taste.
Lunch - Leftover Jalapeno Chili from Day 113. This soup gets better each day. Don't forget the garnishes.
PM Snack - 2 servings of raspberries.
Dinner - Leftover Ribs and Spinach Salad (both from Day 112). I sauteed extra mushrooms on Day 112 to use today. However, I sauteed fresh spinach today and then added the leftover mushrooms to make it fresher.
Yesterday I talked about the importance of drinking water and the best time to drink water. To follow up, Suzanne rdecently posted some wonderful information I didn't know about green tea . . . which also counts towards your daily water intake. After reading Suzanne's posting I think this is something everyone should consider. Below is part of the article by Suzanne.
"Green tea has received a lot of good buzz in the press over the past few years, as studies show that the antioxidant-rich drink could have beneficial effects on everything from heart health to cancer prevention. And green tea can play a key role in the success of your Sexy Forever Plan. It can boost your metabolic rate by 4 percent for 24 hours after you ingest it; plus, it elevates your adrenaline for an extended period of time, giving you more energy for your daily activities (including exercise) and helping your body unlock and use stored body fat. (And, a bonus: It may even prevent your body from absorbing additional fat from your food!)"
In addition Suzanne said that you need to drink 2-3 cups of green tea, per day, to reap the benefits. Plus, you need to drink it early in the day because the adrenaline boost can make it tough to sleep. However, drinking it in the morning will help rev you up for the day ahead. Finally, if you're indulging in a big, saturated-fat feast, a little green tea beforehand can help you avoid digesting (and storing) all of those fat calories.
Breakfast - Small peach; then exercise. Then, a frozen gluten-free waffle and natural peanut butter.
AM Snack - Zucchini Muffin from day 112. Be sure to nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds to get that out-of-the-oven taste.
Lunch - Leftover Jalapeno Chili from Day 113. This soup gets better each day. Don't forget the garnishes.
PM Snack - 2 servings of raspberries.
Dinner - Leftover Ribs and Spinach Salad (both from Day 112). I sauteed extra mushrooms on Day 112 to use today. However, I sauteed fresh spinach today and then added the leftover mushrooms to make it fresher.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Level 1 - Day 113
More Motivation To Drink Water
I think most of you know that it's important to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. But, Suzanne recently posted the following information on her web site regarding additional benefits and a surprising suggestion.
"Water is a very important part of the weight–loss process because it goes a long way in aiding digestion. After all, what do you think saliva and digestive juices are largely made of? That's right. Water. Timing is important too: To maximize digestion, try not to drink too much water with your meals; it can dilute your digestive juices. Your stomach acids are strongest right before you eat. If you dilute them with too much water, it'll be more difficult to break down solid foods before they're passed on to the intestines. Too optimize those essential gastric acids, it's best to hydrate between meals or to eat at least half your meal before you drink water."
Breakfast - Leftover quinoa and non-fat milk topped with agave nectar.
AM Snack - Fruit salad
Lunch - The last of the Chicken Cassoulet from Day 111.
PM Snack - Another yummy Zucchini Muffin that I made yesterday. To keep them fresher, longer, I stored them in the refrigerator. Then, before eating, I popped it into the microwave for 20 seconds. The heat really brings out the flavors.
Dinner - Jalapeno Chili (from SS web site). This soup was another winner. But, I must warn you that there's lots of ingredients . . . and thus, lots of prep work, and lots of steps. It took me 50 minutes, plus an additional 10 minutes of cooking time after the last ingredients were added. However, it's worth it because the recipe makes 10 servings! Maybe more.
Also, to move this Level 1 dish closer to the Detox level, I substituted the one glass of red wine for water. Also, I'm not a big fan of cooking with wine.
On the other hand, I love chili and enjoy spicy food so this recipe sounded very appealing. And, it didn't disappoint. However, I was pooped by the time on got it on the table as I didn't anticipate so much work.
There's lots of chopping involved. And that means lots of pre-washing, too. Plus, there are 3 kinds of meat to cook . . . hot and sweet Italian sausages plus ground chuck. In hindsight I wish I had pre-washed the veggies the night before, as there's lots of them. Or, at the very least, sliced and cooked the Italian sausages the night before while I was making dinner.
But, if you like chili and want to experience a delightful twist with lots of zippy flavors, this soup is worth the effort. And don't forget to top it with the garnishes; sour cream, shredded cheese and scallions because they really add some extra excitement.
I think most of you know that it's important to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. But, Suzanne recently posted the following information on her web site regarding additional benefits and a surprising suggestion.
"Water is a very important part of the weight–loss process because it goes a long way in aiding digestion. After all, what do you think saliva and digestive juices are largely made of? That's right. Water. Timing is important too: To maximize digestion, try not to drink too much water with your meals; it can dilute your digestive juices. Your stomach acids are strongest right before you eat. If you dilute them with too much water, it'll be more difficult to break down solid foods before they're passed on to the intestines. Too optimize those essential gastric acids, it's best to hydrate between meals or to eat at least half your meal before you drink water."
Breakfast - Leftover quinoa and non-fat milk topped with agave nectar.
AM Snack - Fruit salad
Lunch - The last of the Chicken Cassoulet from Day 111.
PM Snack - Another yummy Zucchini Muffin that I made yesterday. To keep them fresher, longer, I stored them in the refrigerator. Then, before eating, I popped it into the microwave for 20 seconds. The heat really brings out the flavors.
Dinner - Jalapeno Chili (from SS web site). This soup was another winner. But, I must warn you that there's lots of ingredients . . . and thus, lots of prep work, and lots of steps. It took me 50 minutes, plus an additional 10 minutes of cooking time after the last ingredients were added. However, it's worth it because the recipe makes 10 servings! Maybe more.
Also, to move this Level 1 dish closer to the Detox level, I substituted the one glass of red wine for water. Also, I'm not a big fan of cooking with wine.
On the other hand, I love chili and enjoy spicy food so this recipe sounded very appealing. And, it didn't disappoint. However, I was pooped by the time on got it on the table as I didn't anticipate so much work.
There's lots of chopping involved. And that means lots of pre-washing, too. Plus, there are 3 kinds of meat to cook . . . hot and sweet Italian sausages plus ground chuck. In hindsight I wish I had pre-washed the veggies the night before, as there's lots of them. Or, at the very least, sliced and cooked the Italian sausages the night before while I was making dinner.
But, if you like chili and want to experience a delightful twist with lots of zippy flavors, this soup is worth the effort. And don't forget to top it with the garnishes; sour cream, shredded cheese and scallions because they really add some extra excitement.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Level 1 - Day 112
A Word About Slow Weight Loss
I think it's very easy to convince yourself to give up on a diet or lifestyle plan when you're experiencing slow weight loss, or even lack of weight loss. For many, these kinds a reasons can fool your inner-self to give up. Or, at the very least, give a reason why the plan is not working.
I beg all of you not to give up when the scale slows down, or stops. At the very least, any good lifestyle plan has its benefits. One being the healthy aspect and how good food can actually make you feel better, and improve some health factors such as cholesterol and damage to your heart. Which, I think, are good reasons to continue.
However, it is discouraging when the scale doesn't move. I've been there many times, and I'm sure you have been too. In my case, when this happened I did give up on the plan. And convinced myself that the plan wasn't right for me. So, after a brief period of time, I started a new plan. And, I think that's the key.
If a plan doesn't appear to be working for you, don't give up and go back to your old habits. Which is so easy to do. But, instead, research another plan and give it a try for an extended period of time. And you may get lucky, like I did, and find a plan that works for you and your body type and medical history.
Breakfast - Quinoa and non-fat milk. I always make enough for one meal of leftovers since it takes about 20 minutes to prepare quinoa.
AM Snack - Large orange (I used the zest from this orange to make a muffin snack for this afternoon).
Lunch - Leftover Chicken Sausage Cassoulet from Day 111.
PM Snack - Zucchini Muffins (from SS web site). While there are a lot of steps and ingredients to these muffins, it's well worth the time because the recipe makes 24 servings. However, I did cut the recipe in half because there are only two of us. Plus, I wasn't sure how good they'd be and didn't want to end up with something I didn't care for.
But, in one word, these muffins were fabulous. Especially, if you're like me, and love carbs ... specifically bread and muffins. My only comment is this: the next time I make these I will add more cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe. Other than that, they were worth the time and effort to make them. And, more importantly, they satisfied my carb craving and left me feeling full and extremely satisfied.
Dinner - Baby Back Pork Ribs plus Warm Wild Mushroom and Spinach Salad (both from the SS web site). OMG! These ribs were to die for!!!!!
My hubby and I are huge fans of BBQ sauce on ribs, so I wasn't sure if I'd like this preparation. But, this savory version was a huge surprise. They were salty and greasy, in a good way, even though very little salt was added. If you try this recipe, I think you'll be licking your fingers and asking for more.
NOTE: I need to mention that Baby Back Pork Ribs were very expensive, and not on sale. So, I substituted them for a cheaper version. The recipe calls for boiling the ribs in water for 30 minutes. In order to make these ribs more tender, I put them in my slow cooker for 6 hours (on low). I then followed the recipe as directed.
Basically, you make a coating that consists of EVOO, salt, pepper, 2 heads of minced garlic, dried thyme and rosemary, plus red pepper flakes. Topped with more EVOO and fresh lemon juice.
I can't say enough about the taste and the texture. They were extremely tender and literally fell off the bone. Plus, the oven method and coatings resulted in a crispy texture near the ends, which also added to their delicious-ness! I can't wait for the leftovers!
I think it's very easy to convince yourself to give up on a diet or lifestyle plan when you're experiencing slow weight loss, or even lack of weight loss. For many, these kinds a reasons can fool your inner-self to give up. Or, at the very least, give a reason why the plan is not working.
I beg all of you not to give up when the scale slows down, or stops. At the very least, any good lifestyle plan has its benefits. One being the healthy aspect and how good food can actually make you feel better, and improve some health factors such as cholesterol and damage to your heart. Which, I think, are good reasons to continue.
However, it is discouraging when the scale doesn't move. I've been there many times, and I'm sure you have been too. In my case, when this happened I did give up on the plan. And convinced myself that the plan wasn't right for me. So, after a brief period of time, I started a new plan. And, I think that's the key.
If a plan doesn't appear to be working for you, don't give up and go back to your old habits. Which is so easy to do. But, instead, research another plan and give it a try for an extended period of time. And you may get lucky, like I did, and find a plan that works for you and your body type and medical history.
Breakfast - Quinoa and non-fat milk. I always make enough for one meal of leftovers since it takes about 20 minutes to prepare quinoa.
AM Snack - Large orange (I used the zest from this orange to make a muffin snack for this afternoon).
Lunch - Leftover Chicken Sausage Cassoulet from Day 111.
PM Snack - Zucchini Muffins (from SS web site). While there are a lot of steps and ingredients to these muffins, it's well worth the time because the recipe makes 24 servings. However, I did cut the recipe in half because there are only two of us. Plus, I wasn't sure how good they'd be and didn't want to end up with something I didn't care for.
But, in one word, these muffins were fabulous. Especially, if you're like me, and love carbs ... specifically bread and muffins. My only comment is this: the next time I make these I will add more cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe. Other than that, they were worth the time and effort to make them. And, more importantly, they satisfied my carb craving and left me feeling full and extremely satisfied.
Dinner - Baby Back Pork Ribs plus Warm Wild Mushroom and Spinach Salad (both from the SS web site). OMG! These ribs were to die for!!!!!
My hubby and I are huge fans of BBQ sauce on ribs, so I wasn't sure if I'd like this preparation. But, this savory version was a huge surprise. They were salty and greasy, in a good way, even though very little salt was added. If you try this recipe, I think you'll be licking your fingers and asking for more.
NOTE: I need to mention that Baby Back Pork Ribs were very expensive, and not on sale. So, I substituted them for a cheaper version. The recipe calls for boiling the ribs in water for 30 minutes. In order to make these ribs more tender, I put them in my slow cooker for 6 hours (on low). I then followed the recipe as directed.
Basically, you make a coating that consists of EVOO, salt, pepper, 2 heads of minced garlic, dried thyme and rosemary, plus red pepper flakes. Topped with more EVOO and fresh lemon juice.
I can't say enough about the taste and the texture. They were extremely tender and literally fell off the bone. Plus, the oven method and coatings resulted in a crispy texture near the ends, which also added to their delicious-ness! I can't wait for the leftovers!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Level 1 - Day 111
No Trial Today!
Due to some major game-playing by both attorney's the Casey Anthony trial was shut down today for a recess. The judge was extremely frustrated with both sides regarding the unexpected delay and gave a smack-down to both attorneys!
So, as a result, I was able to finish planning my meals for the week and got my butt to the grocery store. With my refrigerator full, I'm anxious to try out the wonderful recipes I found on Suzanne's web site. Many of them sound simply amazing, starting with our fabulous dinner.
Breakfast - Frozen gluten-free waffle and natural peanut butter.
AM Snack - Cubed cantaloupe.
Lunch - Egg salad wrapped in large lettuce leaves. Plus, a side salad.
PM Snack - Tomato Pizza Bites (SS web site). We have had these tiny morsels of goodness many times. They are one of our favorite snacks.
Dinner - Chicken Sausage Cassoulet (SS web site). This French inspired recipe will definitely be on our upcoming top 5 list!
NOTE: I decided to leave out the white wine for this Level 1 recipe to keep it closer to the Detox level requirements. Instead, I replaced the 1/2 cup wine for water. Also, I'm not a fan of okra and replaced it with zucchini.
There are a lot of ingredients to this meal, but the prep time is so worth the end result. I used 4 chicken sausages, similar in size to hot dogs, that included small chunks of apples and Italian seasonings. Plus, leftover cooked chicken breast that I cut into small pieces equalling 3 cups.
The result was fan-tab-u-lous! All the ingredients combined to create a zippy, flavor-intensed thick soup. I could have eaten two bowls! Definitely check this one out. Besides the chicken, it includes sauteed onion, celery, minced garlic, and red pepper. Plus chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, thyme, parsley, zucchini, and cayenne pepper.
Due to some major game-playing by both attorney's the Casey Anthony trial was shut down today for a recess. The judge was extremely frustrated with both sides regarding the unexpected delay and gave a smack-down to both attorneys!
So, as a result, I was able to finish planning my meals for the week and got my butt to the grocery store. With my refrigerator full, I'm anxious to try out the wonderful recipes I found on Suzanne's web site. Many of them sound simply amazing, starting with our fabulous dinner.
Breakfast - Frozen gluten-free waffle and natural peanut butter.
AM Snack - Cubed cantaloupe.
Lunch - Egg salad wrapped in large lettuce leaves. Plus, a side salad.
PM Snack - Tomato Pizza Bites (SS web site). We have had these tiny morsels of goodness many times. They are one of our favorite snacks.
Dinner - Chicken Sausage Cassoulet (SS web site). This French inspired recipe will definitely be on our upcoming top 5 list!
NOTE: I decided to leave out the white wine for this Level 1 recipe to keep it closer to the Detox level requirements. Instead, I replaced the 1/2 cup wine for water. Also, I'm not a fan of okra and replaced it with zucchini.
There are a lot of ingredients to this meal, but the prep time is so worth the end result. I used 4 chicken sausages, similar in size to hot dogs, that included small chunks of apples and Italian seasonings. Plus, leftover cooked chicken breast that I cut into small pieces equalling 3 cups.
The result was fan-tab-u-lous! All the ingredients combined to create a zippy, flavor-intensed thick soup. I could have eaten two bowls! Definitely check this one out. Besides the chicken, it includes sauteed onion, celery, minced garlic, and red pepper. Plus chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, thyme, parsley, zucchini, and cayenne pepper.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Level 1 - Day 110
Happy Father's Day!
I hope all of you following my blog celebrated Father's Day with a bang! It's such a special day for families.
We had a quiet day because both of our father's are not alive, so we didn't do any celebrating. However, we do have a dog, and often times refer to ourselves as mommy and daddy to our beloved Gidget. So, my hubby thought we should splurge a bit and stretch the rules for Father's Day by celebrating with a Subway sandwich for lunch.
So we did, along with a trip for ice cream after supper. Which my hubby insists was Gidget's idea! See what I'm up against?
Breakfast - Sausage links and eggs fried in the leftover drippings. You may not believe this, but eggs fried in bacon or sausage grease is perfectly acceptable on the Sexy Forever plan. And boy were they delicious!
AM Snack - Fruit smoothie.
Lunch - A sub sandwich from Subway along (not on the plan) with cucumber slices.
PM Snack - A slice of cheese.
Dinner - Egg Salad Wraps (SS web site). Instead of bread, use big lettuce leaves for the wrap. On the side, I sprinkled some basil on sliced tomatoes and warmed them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Dessert - We split a small Snicker Twirl from our neighborhood custard stand. Also, not on the plan but extremely delicious on a 104 degree day!
I hope all of you following my blog celebrated Father's Day with a bang! It's such a special day for families.
We had a quiet day because both of our father's are not alive, so we didn't do any celebrating. However, we do have a dog, and often times refer to ourselves as mommy and daddy to our beloved Gidget. So, my hubby thought we should splurge a bit and stretch the rules for Father's Day by celebrating with a Subway sandwich for lunch.
So we did, along with a trip for ice cream after supper. Which my hubby insists was Gidget's idea! See what I'm up against?
Breakfast - Sausage links and eggs fried in the leftover drippings. You may not believe this, but eggs fried in bacon or sausage grease is perfectly acceptable on the Sexy Forever plan. And boy were they delicious!
AM Snack - Fruit smoothie.
Lunch - A sub sandwich from Subway along (not on the plan) with cucumber slices.
PM Snack - A slice of cheese.
Dinner - Egg Salad Wraps (SS web site). Instead of bread, use big lettuce leaves for the wrap. On the side, I sprinkled some basil on sliced tomatoes and warmed them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Dessert - We split a small Snicker Twirl from our neighborhood custard stand. Also, not on the plan but extremely delicious on a 104 degree day!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Level 1 - Day 108 (weigh-in day)
We're Crawling Along
While I haven't been following the plan as closely as I should, I still managed to lose one pound this week after last week's zero loss. Making a total loss of 19 pounds with 11 to go.
However, my hubby didn't lose any weight this week after losing one pound last week. His total loss is 22 pounds with only 8 to go.
Much of my lack of attention to following the Sexy Forever plan like I should, is due to the Casey Anthony trial here in Florida. I've become addicted to the trial, which is aired live, and have moved my Sugar Notes work station to the kitchen table so I can follow the trial.
For those of you who don't know about this trial, it is a compelling murder of a 2-1/2 year old child whose mother is accused of killing her 3 years ago. If you live in Florida, or specifically the Orlando area, you'd have to be living under a rock not to know all the unbelievable details about it. During the past 3 years it gained national attention and has become sensationalized by the media. People from all over have been lining up at midnight the night before, and sleeping outside the courthouse, in hopes of getting a seat to view the trial in person. If you live here, it's the main topic of conversation anywhere you go!
As a result, my guilty pleasure has been this trial. Which is the main reason why I've been lax in following the Sexy Forever Plan. Most days we don't eat enough veggies or I skip a snack and then I eat more than I should at dinner because I'm hungry.
Then, that results in not having leftovers for our lunches. So, to remedy that problem, I've been buying appropriate pre-made items from the deli to serve as supplements due to lack of time. Not huge problems, but they don't help when you're trying to lose weight because they're not prepared Suzanne's way.
I think I'm a candidate for an intervention! Yikes.
So now that I've confessed, I'm hoping it will give me renewed devotion for this plan. My hubby and I have been doing so well, up until three weeks ago when the trial started. We don't want to lose ground. And, more importantly, lose our focus and stray completely from the Sexy Forever Plan. Which scares me a little.
So, I'm asking those of you who follow my blog to give me a kick in the butt. Because, as you've probably noticed, I've also been lax in keeping up with my blog. And, that's also because of the trial. My main focus has to be my business, Sugar Notes, and consequently my blog has suffered because there's only so much time in the day.
Help! Send me a comment or email. I need to get back on track!
While I haven't been following the plan as closely as I should, I still managed to lose one pound this week after last week's zero loss. Making a total loss of 19 pounds with 11 to go.
However, my hubby didn't lose any weight this week after losing one pound last week. His total loss is 22 pounds with only 8 to go.
Much of my lack of attention to following the Sexy Forever plan like I should, is due to the Casey Anthony trial here in Florida. I've become addicted to the trial, which is aired live, and have moved my Sugar Notes work station to the kitchen table so I can follow the trial.
For those of you who don't know about this trial, it is a compelling murder of a 2-1/2 year old child whose mother is accused of killing her 3 years ago. If you live in Florida, or specifically the Orlando area, you'd have to be living under a rock not to know all the unbelievable details about it. During the past 3 years it gained national attention and has become sensationalized by the media. People from all over have been lining up at midnight the night before, and sleeping outside the courthouse, in hopes of getting a seat to view the trial in person. If you live here, it's the main topic of conversation anywhere you go!
As a result, my guilty pleasure has been this trial. Which is the main reason why I've been lax in following the Sexy Forever Plan. Most days we don't eat enough veggies or I skip a snack and then I eat more than I should at dinner because I'm hungry.
Then, that results in not having leftovers for our lunches. So, to remedy that problem, I've been buying appropriate pre-made items from the deli to serve as supplements due to lack of time. Not huge problems, but they don't help when you're trying to lose weight because they're not prepared Suzanne's way.
I think I'm a candidate for an intervention! Yikes.
So now that I've confessed, I'm hoping it will give me renewed devotion for this plan. My hubby and I have been doing so well, up until three weeks ago when the trial started. We don't want to lose ground. And, more importantly, lose our focus and stray completely from the Sexy Forever Plan. Which scares me a little.
So, I'm asking those of you who follow my blog to give me a kick in the butt. Because, as you've probably noticed, I've also been lax in keeping up with my blog. And, that's also because of the trial. My main focus has to be my business, Sugar Notes, and consequently my blog has suffered because there's only so much time in the day.
Help! Send me a comment or email. I need to get back on track!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Weekly Planner for Detox - Days 8 thru 14
As I mentioned in earlier posts, I'm going to start posting my weekly meal plans while on the Sexy Forever program. I'll be starting with my first week of meals in the Detox level and going in sequence from there. I plan on posting my meal plans once per week.
Below is the meal plan for days 8-14 while in the Detox level. You'll see that it includes information as to whether I got the recipe in one of Suzanne's books or her web site. In addition, I indicate how many servings to prepare for each recipe to help you plan your shopping list. And. also, which meals are to be used as leftovers.
Finally, you can reference my blog archives to read my recipes reviews, tips, and preparation information regarding may daily meals for this weekly meal plan. Also, please keep in mind that my meal plans were prepared for two adults; myself and my husband.
Detox Level - Days 8 through 14 (meals are for 2 adults)
Below is the meal plan for days 8-14 while in the Detox level. You'll see that it includes information as to whether I got the recipe in one of Suzanne's books or her web site. In addition, I indicate how many servings to prepare for each recipe to help you plan your shopping list. And. also, which meals are to be used as leftovers.
Finally, you can reference my blog archives to read my recipes reviews, tips, and preparation information regarding may daily meals for this weekly meal plan. Also, please keep in mind that my meal plans were prepared for two adults; myself and my husband.
Detox Level - Days 8 through 14 (meals are for 2 adults)
| Day | Meals | Prep | |
| Saturday Day 8 | B- fried eggs in butter, bacon, sliced tomato L - Chopped Italian salad (pg. 172 Sexy Forever book) D - Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Burger and steamed broccoli (pg. 259 Sexy Forever) AM snack - skipped PM snack - clementines | Make enough Turkey Burgers for 3 meals or 6 servings. Approx. 6 oz. for me and 8 oz. for hubby each serving. Plan 4 servings of the Italian salad; 2 meals. | |
| Sunday Day 9 | B - Quinoa (pg. 169) (exercise) L - Leftover Chopped Italian salad (Day 8) D - Tuscan White Bean Soup (2 cups) found on SS web site AM snack - Clementine PM snack - 10 skinless almonds | The bean soup made more than expected. I planned on 3 meals or 6 servings, but it made 4 meals. | |
| Monday Day 10 | B - fruit; then exercised. Whole grain toast with natural peanut butter L - Leftover Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Burger (Day 8) and salad D - Cilantro Ginger Chicken (pg. 252 Sexy Forever book) and canned green beans AM snack - hard boiled egg PM snack - clementine | I planned on 2 meals or 4 servings of the Ginger Chicken. But, it made one extra serving. | |
| Tuesday Day 11 | B - Fruit salad; then quinoa L - Leftover Tuscan Bean Soup from Day 9 D - Steak Fajita Bowls (SS web site) Skipped AM snack PM snack - small peach | Make one meal of the Steak Fajita Bowls. | |
| Wednesday Day 12 | B - Fruit smoothie; exercised. Then quinoa L - Leftover Mozzarella Turkey Burger and sliced tomato w/basil from Day 8 D - Leftover Ginger Chicken (Day 10) and side salad AM snack - cheese PM snack - 10 skinless almonds | Leftover day. | |
| Thursday Day 13 | B - fruit; exercised. Then wholegrain toast with natural peanut butter L - Leftover Tuscan White Bean Soup from Day 9 (2cups) D - Hubby had leftover Ginger Chicken (Day 10) and I had leftover turkey burger (Day 8) and a salad AM snack - skipped PM - prosciutto & asparagus roll-ups (SS web site) | I was planning on making fish today, but moved it to tomorrow because I had one serving each of the left over turkey burger and ginger chicken. So, we got a bonus leftover day! Yeah! | |
| Friday Day 14 | B - Fruit salad; wait 20 minutes. Then, whole grain toast with natural peanut butter L - Leftover Tuscan soup (Day 9) D - Pan Roasted Catfish with Thyme & Lemon Butter Sauce (pg. 242 Sexy Forever) and brocolli PM Snack - prosciutto & asparagus roll-ups | Make enough fish for one meal. |
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Level 1 - Day 101 (Weigh-in day)
The Scale's Slowing Down
It was bound to happen. The scale showed a one pound loss for my hubby and it didn't even move at all, for me.
As we're getting closer and closer to our goal weight, it's only natural, I think, for the scale to slow down. With only 8 more pounds to go for my hubby and 12 for me, I think we're going to have more of a battle to get those last pounds off.
Plus, I think the longer you're on the plan and the closer you get to your goal the more apt you are to cheat a little bit. And, that's been the case for us, and I'm sure you've all been there too. I'm not saying we're eating things we shouldn't but rather that I'm not balancing my meals as well as used to do.
Lunch is my culprit because I work from home. I don't always take the time to make those veggies. It's much easier to stay on track when the veggie is a leftover or I make a salad ahead of time. Then, on top of not eating my veggies, I get hungrier at snack time and end up eating a little more than I should. It's been a struggle to stay on track. I'm sure you can all relate.
Here's my meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Cereal with non-fat milk.
AM Snack - Fruit smoothie.
Lunch - Leftover hamburger with a little melted cheese. I was planning on eating a salad today, but didn't feel like getting everything out ... then chopping, etc. So, I just ate the protein.
PM Snack - Tomato Pizza Bites (SS web site). You're supposed to stack a slice of tomato, then a slice of turkey pepperoni, then some cheese and microwave to melt the cheese. However, I didn't feel like slicing the tomato and just had the pepperoni and cheese. Now, that's bad. But worse, my stomach started growling an hour later and that's not good. So I had a hard-boiled egg when I should have had some sliced veggies. Yikes!
Dinner - Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Soup with Creme Fraiche and Crispy Sage Leaves (SS web site) plus a meal we had during our first week on the plan, Butterflied Rosemary Chicken with Pan Juices (Sexy Forever book, pg. 254-255).
This was a wonderful combination. Other than roasting 6 red peppers for an hour, the soup was very fast and easy to make. Plus, the addition of a dollop of sour cream on top was fabulous.
However, we weren't too crazy about the fried sage leaves. While they looked very pretty they didn't add anything at all. In fact, I think they took away from the heavenly flavors of the soup. We won't be adding them when we reheat the soup as leftovers, which is too bad because I already made the sage leaves ahead of time. You know how I hate wasting food, but I ended up throwing the fried sage leaves away.
Regarding the butterflied chicken, you can read my review from our first week in Detox. Just go to my blog archives and pull up Detox, Day 2.
It was bound to happen. The scale showed a one pound loss for my hubby and it didn't even move at all, for me.
As we're getting closer and closer to our goal weight, it's only natural, I think, for the scale to slow down. With only 8 more pounds to go for my hubby and 12 for me, I think we're going to have more of a battle to get those last pounds off.
Plus, I think the longer you're on the plan and the closer you get to your goal the more apt you are to cheat a little bit. And, that's been the case for us, and I'm sure you've all been there too. I'm not saying we're eating things we shouldn't but rather that I'm not balancing my meals as well as used to do.
Lunch is my culprit because I work from home. I don't always take the time to make those veggies. It's much easier to stay on track when the veggie is a leftover or I make a salad ahead of time. Then, on top of not eating my veggies, I get hungrier at snack time and end up eating a little more than I should. It's been a struggle to stay on track. I'm sure you can all relate.
Here's my meal plan for the day:
Breakfast - Cereal with non-fat milk.
AM Snack - Fruit smoothie.
Lunch - Leftover hamburger with a little melted cheese. I was planning on eating a salad today, but didn't feel like getting everything out ... then chopping, etc. So, I just ate the protein.
PM Snack - Tomato Pizza Bites (SS web site). You're supposed to stack a slice of tomato, then a slice of turkey pepperoni, then some cheese and microwave to melt the cheese. However, I didn't feel like slicing the tomato and just had the pepperoni and cheese. Now, that's bad. But worse, my stomach started growling an hour later and that's not good. So I had a hard-boiled egg when I should have had some sliced veggies. Yikes!
Dinner - Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Soup with Creme Fraiche and Crispy Sage Leaves (SS web site) plus a meal we had during our first week on the plan, Butterflied Rosemary Chicken with Pan Juices (Sexy Forever book, pg. 254-255).
This was a wonderful combination. Other than roasting 6 red peppers for an hour, the soup was very fast and easy to make. Plus, the addition of a dollop of sour cream on top was fabulous.
However, we weren't too crazy about the fried sage leaves. While they looked very pretty they didn't add anything at all. In fact, I think they took away from the heavenly flavors of the soup. We won't be adding them when we reheat the soup as leftovers, which is too bad because I already made the sage leaves ahead of time. You know how I hate wasting food, but I ended up throwing the fried sage leaves away.
Regarding the butterflied chicken, you can read my review from our first week in Detox. Just go to my blog archives and pull up Detox, Day 2.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Level 1 - Day 100
Burning Down The House
In honor of our 100th day in Level 1, one might think I was celebrating with the sounds of our smoke alarm going off while preparing dinner. On the contrary, the alarms were quite un-nerving as they went off unexpectantly, not once, but three times! But, luckily for me, my hubby was home and was able to take care of disarming the alarm while I tended to my feisty dinner.
While I quickly worked to keep our expensive dinner from burning, my hubby was running around the house opening windows and bringing in fans to suck the smoke out of the air. To look at us you would have seen that we were quite the team as we both kept our cool during all the chaos. And, in the end, we were relieved and delighted when we finally sat down to a delicious dinner. Although, it wasn't as relaxing as I'd hoped.
The moral of the story: When a recipe instructs you to cook something on high heat, you need to take into account that all burners are not the same. Temperatures can differ as well as their features. Which I later found out. The burner I was using on my stove has a feature that makes it heat faster and hotter than all the rest. Yikes!
The second moral of the story, according to my husband: Always read the directions.
Below are our meals for the day:
Breakfast - Leftover quinoa with non-fat milk and agave nectar.
AM Snack - 3 servings of grapes which I soaked in apple cider vinegar and water for 30 minutes to remove the toxins.
Lunch - Leftover Shrimp Stir Fry for 4 (SS web site) from earlier in the week. The recipe calls for brown rice which makes it a Level 1 meal. This is a quick and light meal and was surprisingly more delicious as a leftover.
PM Snack - Natural beef jerkey (1 oz.)
Dinner - Pan-Roasted Ribeye Steak with Slow-Roasted Sweet Onion and Sauteed Spinach. Other than roasting the onion with bacon wrapped around it for one hour, this is a fairly quick meal to make if you leave out all of our chaos.
My intention was to make a romantic meal for my hubby because he was having a particularly challenging week at work. Instead our meal reflected the chaos he was experiencing at work. NOT what I had intended!
The recipe requires heating an oven-proof pan on high then adding EVOO. Next, you sear the ribeye steak for 2-1/2 minutes on each side. But, my pan was screaming hot and immediately erupted with smoke and intense sizzling sounds when I tried to sear the steak. Within a minute the smoke alarm went off. Then, a minute later, it went off again.
And, if that wasn't enough drama, the recipes directs you to pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees where, once the steak has been seared, you finish cooking it for another 2 minutes.
Well, my pan was smoking and sizzling and spitting EVOO all over. So, when I opened the oven door to slide the pan inside it soon triggered the smoke alarm to go off the third time. So much drama for one little steak! In addition to the smoke alarm noise, I had the oven exhaust fan going on high and my hubby had a large floor fan running on high, too. We could barley hear ourselves think, let alone carry on any kind of conversation with each other.
But, later, when all the noise stopped, we were able to laugh about it. But it sure put a damper on my intended romantic and quiet meal. So, while I will tell you that this was a very delicious meal, I would bet that it was probably much better than I remembered because my emotions weren't in the right place. You can bet that the next time I make this meal it will be prepared on a lower temperature setting.
In honor of our 100th day in Level 1, one might think I was celebrating with the sounds of our smoke alarm going off while preparing dinner. On the contrary, the alarms were quite un-nerving as they went off unexpectantly, not once, but three times! But, luckily for me, my hubby was home and was able to take care of disarming the alarm while I tended to my feisty dinner.
While I quickly worked to keep our expensive dinner from burning, my hubby was running around the house opening windows and bringing in fans to suck the smoke out of the air. To look at us you would have seen that we were quite the team as we both kept our cool during all the chaos. And, in the end, we were relieved and delighted when we finally sat down to a delicious dinner. Although, it wasn't as relaxing as I'd hoped.
The moral of the story: When a recipe instructs you to cook something on high heat, you need to take into account that all burners are not the same. Temperatures can differ as well as their features. Which I later found out. The burner I was using on my stove has a feature that makes it heat faster and hotter than all the rest. Yikes!
The second moral of the story, according to my husband: Always read the directions.
Below are our meals for the day:
Breakfast - Leftover quinoa with non-fat milk and agave nectar.
AM Snack - 3 servings of grapes which I soaked in apple cider vinegar and water for 30 minutes to remove the toxins.
Lunch - Leftover Shrimp Stir Fry for 4 (SS web site) from earlier in the week. The recipe calls for brown rice which makes it a Level 1 meal. This is a quick and light meal and was surprisingly more delicious as a leftover.
PM Snack - Natural beef jerkey (1 oz.)
Dinner - Pan-Roasted Ribeye Steak with Slow-Roasted Sweet Onion and Sauteed Spinach. Other than roasting the onion with bacon wrapped around it for one hour, this is a fairly quick meal to make if you leave out all of our chaos.
My intention was to make a romantic meal for my hubby because he was having a particularly challenging week at work. Instead our meal reflected the chaos he was experiencing at work. NOT what I had intended!
The recipe requires heating an oven-proof pan on high then adding EVOO. Next, you sear the ribeye steak for 2-1/2 minutes on each side. But, my pan was screaming hot and immediately erupted with smoke and intense sizzling sounds when I tried to sear the steak. Within a minute the smoke alarm went off. Then, a minute later, it went off again.
And, if that wasn't enough drama, the recipes directs you to pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees where, once the steak has been seared, you finish cooking it for another 2 minutes.
Well, my pan was smoking and sizzling and spitting EVOO all over. So, when I opened the oven door to slide the pan inside it soon triggered the smoke alarm to go off the third time. So much drama for one little steak! In addition to the smoke alarm noise, I had the oven exhaust fan going on high and my hubby had a large floor fan running on high, too. We could barley hear ourselves think, let alone carry on any kind of conversation with each other.
But, later, when all the noise stopped, we were able to laugh about it. But it sure put a damper on my intended romantic and quiet meal. So, while I will tell you that this was a very delicious meal, I would bet that it was probably much better than I remembered because my emotions weren't in the right place. You can bet that the next time I make this meal it will be prepared on a lower temperature setting.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Level 1 - Day 99
Weekly Meal Planner
I hope the meal planner I posted in my last blog entry from Detox, Days 1 thru 7, helped some of you plan your meals. I'd love to hear from you about it. It was fun for me to go back and re-live those days. In fact, I'm going to be re-vamping one of Suzanne's meals from that planner in an upcoming meal this week. Be sure to look for it, as I'm hoping it will be another winner.
I'd also like to mention that I attached the weekly meal planner to my original blog entry in my archives for Detox, Day 1. So, you can also look for the planner, there, as well. As I publish upcoming weekly meal planners to my daily blog, I will also be posting it to the corresponding first day from my original blog in my archives. I'm hoping this addition will help newcomers to my blog, as well, when they search the archived entries.
Here are my meals for today:
Breakfast: Exercised; then Quinoa with non-fat milk and agave nectar.
AM Snack: 3 servings of fresh pineapple.
Lunch - Spinach Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (SS web site). For this salad I used leftover chicken from last night's dinner. I substituted the balsamic vinegar dressing for fresh deli dressing I had on hand.
PM Snack - Natural beef jerky (1 oz.)
Dinner - I was a little rushed today, so I didn't use one of Suzanne's recipes. Instead, I simply pan-fried a couple of pork chops in EVOO and paired them with organic, canned peas.
Cheater Alert: My hubby usually has a couple honey graham crackers and some 1% chocolate milk in the evening and most of the time I can refrain. However, tonight, I had one, plus a sip of his milk.
I hope the meal planner I posted in my last blog entry from Detox, Days 1 thru 7, helped some of you plan your meals. I'd love to hear from you about it. It was fun for me to go back and re-live those days. In fact, I'm going to be re-vamping one of Suzanne's meals from that planner in an upcoming meal this week. Be sure to look for it, as I'm hoping it will be another winner.
I'd also like to mention that I attached the weekly meal planner to my original blog entry in my archives for Detox, Day 1. So, you can also look for the planner, there, as well. As I publish upcoming weekly meal planners to my daily blog, I will also be posting it to the corresponding first day from my original blog in my archives. I'm hoping this addition will help newcomers to my blog, as well, when they search the archived entries.
Here are my meals for today:
Breakfast: Exercised; then Quinoa with non-fat milk and agave nectar.
AM Snack: 3 servings of fresh pineapple.
Lunch - Spinach Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (SS web site). For this salad I used leftover chicken from last night's dinner. I substituted the balsamic vinegar dressing for fresh deli dressing I had on hand.
PM Snack - Natural beef jerky (1 oz.)
Dinner - I was a little rushed today, so I didn't use one of Suzanne's recipes. Instead, I simply pan-fried a couple of pork chops in EVOO and paired them with organic, canned peas.
Cheater Alert: My hubby usually has a couple honey graham crackers and some 1% chocolate milk in the evening and most of the time I can refrain. However, tonight, I had one, plus a sip of his milk.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Weekly Planner for Detox Days 1-7
Here It Is!
As I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to start posting my weekly meal plans while on the Sexy Forever program. I'll be starting with my first week of meals in the Detox level and going in sequence from there. I plan on posting my meal plans once per week.
Below is the meal plan for days 1-7 while in the Detox level. You'll see that it includes information as to whether I got the recipe in one of Suzanne's books or her web site. In addition, I indicate how many servings to prepare for each recipe to help you plan your shopping list. And. also, which meals are to be used as leftovers.
Finally, you can reference my blog archives to read my recipes reviews, tips, and preparation information regarding may daily meals for this weekly meal plan. Also, please keep in mind that my meal plans were prepared for two adults; myself and my husband.
Detox Level - Days 1 through 7 (meals are for 2 adults)
As I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to start posting my weekly meal plans while on the Sexy Forever program. I'll be starting with my first week of meals in the Detox level and going in sequence from there. I plan on posting my meal plans once per week.
Below is the meal plan for days 1-7 while in the Detox level. You'll see that it includes information as to whether I got the recipe in one of Suzanne's books or her web site. In addition, I indicate how many servings to prepare for each recipe to help you plan your shopping list. And. also, which meals are to be used as leftovers.
Finally, you can reference my blog archives to read my recipes reviews, tips, and preparation information regarding may daily meals for this weekly meal plan. Also, please keep in mind that my meal plans were prepared for two adults; myself and my husband.
Detox Level - Days 1 through 7 (meals are for 2 adults)
| Day | Meals | Prep | |
| Saturday Day 1 | B - Cup of cantaloupe; exercise. Then, 1 slice whole wheat toast, lettuce, warm tomato & basil L - Taco salad (chopped lettuce, seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, sour cream, & salsa) D - Cheeseburger served in lettuce cup and side salad (Sexy Forever book pg. 172) AM snack - skipped PM snack-2 brown rice cakes topped w/fresh salsa | Make enough taco salad for 2 days. Make enough cheeseburgers for 3 days. I made 6 oz. patties for me; 8 oz. patties for hubby. | |
| Sunday Day 2 | B - Scrambled eggs with sautéed mushrooms, fresh spinach, and grated cheese (pg. 171 in Sexy Forever book) L- Leftover cheeseburger and side salad D- Butterflied Rosemary Chicken with Pan Juices (pg. 254) and sautéed kale & brocolli AM snack - one serving cherries PM snack - clementine | Make enough sautéed kale & brocolli for 2 days. Chicken will yield 4 dinners and 4 cobb salads for 2 people. | |
| Monday Day 3 | B - Fruit; wait 20 minutes. Then whole wheat toast with lettuce, warm tomato, & basil L - Leftover taco salad D - Leftover cheeseburger & spinach salad AM snack - skipped PM snack - 2 brown rice cakes and fresh salsa | ||
| Tuesday Day 4 | B - Fruit smoothie L - Egg salad wrap (pg. 172) D - Leftover Rosemary Chicken and leftover sauteed kale and brocolli AM snack - slice of cheddar cheese PM snack - brown rice cakes and fresh salsa | Make enough egg salad for 3 days; or in my case this was 6 lunches. | |
| Wednesday Day 5 | B - Cup fruit; wait 20 minutes. Then, whole wheat toast w/lettuce, warm tomato & basil L - Leftover egg salad wrap D - Cobb salad using leftover chicken (recipe page 171 in Sexy Forever book) AM snack - skipped PM snack - 2 brown rice cakes and fresh salsa | Make enough cobb salad for 2 days. For me, this was 4 lunches. | |
| Thursday Day 6 | B - Fruit smoothie using 2 servings of fruit L - leftover egg salad wrap D - Pork chops (pg. 172) and oven-roasted cauliflower AM snack - skipped PM snack - one Clementine; waited 20 minutes, then had slice of cheese | I made 4 pork chops to use for 2 meals. | |
| Friday Day 7 | B - bacon, fried eggs, & sautéed zuchini ribbons in EVOO L - leftover cobb salad D - leftover pork chops and sautéed kale in EVOO AM snack - skipped PM snack - last of brown rice cakes and salsa | Re: breakast use 2 eggs per person. There was leftover kale in the bag so I used it up today. |
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Level 1 - Day 95 (weigh-in day)
Stubborn Scale For Hubby
After not sticking to the plan correctly last week, I'm happy to report that I got the scale moving this week and lost another pound. I was a little worried because I had two cocktails and some potato chips over the Memorial Day weekend. However, I did stick to the plan the remainder of the week and did not include any Level 1 meals. So, that must have helped.
My hubby, on the other hand, didn't lose anything this week. But, he fell off the plan over the Memorial Day weekend by having a few more snacks than I did plus a couple of beers.
So, as of today I've lost a total of 18 pounds and my hubby is holding at 21 pounds. With both of us wanting to lose 30 pounds each, we're getting closer and closer to our goal. And because we're getting close, it's easy to get lax once in a while.
Announcement - I'm Adding a New Feature To My Blog
First, I'd like to thank my sister for all her support in regards to my blog and my weight loss success. She's my biggest fan and the reason behind the new feature I'm adding to my blog.
She suggested a wonderful idea that I think my loyal blog followers will appreciate. She thought it would be helpful if I could post my complete weekly plan in one document. Which would also include the recipe source and how many servings I made of each meal. In that way, she felt it would be easier to plan weekly shopping lists and meal preparation at a glance.
So, starting tomorrow, I will post one week of meals that you can print out or cut and paste to another document. As you know, I already post our weigh-in information each Friday and our Top 5 Recipes every 30 days. So, now, I'll also be posting documents that show one week of meals, starting with my meals from Detox, Week 1, and then going sequentially from there. This will be done each Saturday.
I'd love to hear your comments or suggestions regarding this new addition. So drop me a note.
After not sticking to the plan correctly last week, I'm happy to report that I got the scale moving this week and lost another pound. I was a little worried because I had two cocktails and some potato chips over the Memorial Day weekend. However, I did stick to the plan the remainder of the week and did not include any Level 1 meals. So, that must have helped.
My hubby, on the other hand, didn't lose anything this week. But, he fell off the plan over the Memorial Day weekend by having a few more snacks than I did plus a couple of beers.
So, as of today I've lost a total of 18 pounds and my hubby is holding at 21 pounds. With both of us wanting to lose 30 pounds each, we're getting closer and closer to our goal. And because we're getting close, it's easy to get lax once in a while.
Announcement - I'm Adding a New Feature To My Blog
First, I'd like to thank my sister for all her support in regards to my blog and my weight loss success. She's my biggest fan and the reason behind the new feature I'm adding to my blog.
She suggested a wonderful idea that I think my loyal blog followers will appreciate. She thought it would be helpful if I could post my complete weekly plan in one document. Which would also include the recipe source and how many servings I made of each meal. In that way, she felt it would be easier to plan weekly shopping lists and meal preparation at a glance.
So, starting tomorrow, I will post one week of meals that you can print out or cut and paste to another document. As you know, I already post our weigh-in information each Friday and our Top 5 Recipes every 30 days. So, now, I'll also be posting documents that show one week of meals, starting with my meals from Detox, Week 1, and then going sequentially from there. This will be done each Saturday.
I'd love to hear your comments or suggestions regarding this new addition. So drop me a note.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Level 1 - Day 90 (Top 5 Recipes)
Top 5 Recipes For The Past 30 Days
I can't believe it's been 3 months since my hubby and I started Level 1 on the Sexy Forever plan. The food has been fabulous and we've had great results. As in the past, I'm again posting our favorite recipes for the past 30 days. Look in the blog archives for previous "Top 5 Recipe" postings.
#1 - Summer Tomato Soup with Basil Pistou and
Open-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Day 83
(a great comfort food meal the Sexy-Forever way)
#2 - Lamburger with Tomato Chutney and Mint from Day 77
#3 - Chicken Parmigiana from Day 63
#4 - Shrimp Scampi and Gorgonzola Cheese Salad from Day 76
#5 - Red Lentil Cumin Soup from Day 75
Here's our meal plan for today:
Breakfast - Special K cereal with non-fat milk. It's probably not the best choice, but it was on great sale and I had a $1.00 off coupon, to boot!
AM Snack - A delicious fruit smoothie made with assorted frozen fruits and a splash of pomagranite juice.
Lunch - A big salad with greens, deli ham, shredded cheddar cheese, hard-boiled egg, sliced peppers, tomatoes, and homemade Italian dressing.
PM Snack - Sliced cucumber sticks and tomato slices.
Dinner - Leftover London Broil Stir-Fry from Day 88. (This is the meal I made up myself.)
I can't believe it's been 3 months since my hubby and I started Level 1 on the Sexy Forever plan. The food has been fabulous and we've had great results. As in the past, I'm again posting our favorite recipes for the past 30 days. Look in the blog archives for previous "Top 5 Recipe" postings.
#1 - Summer Tomato Soup with Basil Pistou and
Open-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Day 83
(a great comfort food meal the Sexy-Forever way)
#2 - Lamburger with Tomato Chutney and Mint from Day 77
#3 - Chicken Parmigiana from Day 63
#4 - Shrimp Scampi and Gorgonzola Cheese Salad from Day 76
#5 - Red Lentil Cumin Soup from Day 75
Here's our meal plan for today:
Breakfast - Special K cereal with non-fat milk. It's probably not the best choice, but it was on great sale and I had a $1.00 off coupon, to boot!
AM Snack - A delicious fruit smoothie made with assorted frozen fruits and a splash of pomagranite juice.
Lunch - A big salad with greens, deli ham, shredded cheddar cheese, hard-boiled egg, sliced peppers, tomatoes, and homemade Italian dressing.
PM Snack - Sliced cucumber sticks and tomato slices.
Dinner - Leftover London Broil Stir-Fry from Day 88. (This is the meal I made up myself.)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Level 1 - Day 88 (Weigh-in day)
The Scale Was Lazy Today
As a result of a week where we didn't follow the plan like we normally do, the scale didn't move today. Both my husband and I didn't lose any pounds. Nor did we gain any either.
Other than having an ice cream one night and a Subway sandwich another evening, we ate items that were on the Sexy Forever Plan. However, we didn't balance them correctly. There were several days when we didn't eat our six servings of veggies. And, due to my hectic work schedule, I missed many snacks this week. And, my husband ate out two times due to his work schedule. While he tried to eat close to the plan, it wasn't balanced correctly.
So, I'm not sure if our lack of weight loss was a result of not following the plan correctly, or just a week where we stalled ... which is normal. We'll see what happens next week, as I have planned our meals for the week and have the groceries in the refrigeration. Plus, our upcoming work weeks are closer to normal with the exception of the day off for Memorial Day.
Breakfast - Two fried eggs in butter (per Suzanne's plan) and two breakfast sausage links.
AM Snack - A wonderful fruit smoothie made from a variety of frozen fruits with a splash of fresh pomegranate juice. Yum.
Lunch - Leftover fried pork chops and wild mushroom sauce from Day 86. Plus, canned organic peas and carrots.
PM Snack - Slice of cheese.
Dinner - I made up a meal tonight because I had some London Broil stir fry meat in the freezer. It was wonderful and I modified a recipe from Suzanne Somers to make it.
First, I sauteed the London Broil strips in EVOO until they were cooked through. I also used some broccoli slaw, which I found in our produce department. It appeared to have some cabbage in it, too.
While the beef was cooking, in a separate pan I sauteed some sliced mushrooms in some EVOO. After 10 minutes I added 1/2 cup beef broth which I stirred to incorporate the bits on the bottom of the pan and sprinkled some Montreal Steak seasoning on top. Then, after it reduced a bit I added one teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Beef Base and the broccoli slaw. After 5 minutes of frequent stirring I added a little more beef broth as the slaw appeared limp. Then, I took if off the burner.
I scooped some slaw on each plate and topped it with the beef strips. It was absolutely delicious, tender, and moist. The beef base gave a wonderful flavor to the veggies and I think was a brilliant substitute for rice or noddles. I made enough for 6 servings.
As a result of a week where we didn't follow the plan like we normally do, the scale didn't move today. Both my husband and I didn't lose any pounds. Nor did we gain any either.
Other than having an ice cream one night and a Subway sandwich another evening, we ate items that were on the Sexy Forever Plan. However, we didn't balance them correctly. There were several days when we didn't eat our six servings of veggies. And, due to my hectic work schedule, I missed many snacks this week. And, my husband ate out two times due to his work schedule. While he tried to eat close to the plan, it wasn't balanced correctly.
So, I'm not sure if our lack of weight loss was a result of not following the plan correctly, or just a week where we stalled ... which is normal. We'll see what happens next week, as I have planned our meals for the week and have the groceries in the refrigeration. Plus, our upcoming work weeks are closer to normal with the exception of the day off for Memorial Day.
Breakfast - Two fried eggs in butter (per Suzanne's plan) and two breakfast sausage links.
AM Snack - A wonderful fruit smoothie made from a variety of frozen fruits with a splash of fresh pomegranate juice. Yum.
Lunch - Leftover fried pork chops and wild mushroom sauce from Day 86. Plus, canned organic peas and carrots.
PM Snack - Slice of cheese.
Dinner - I made up a meal tonight because I had some London Broil stir fry meat in the freezer. It was wonderful and I modified a recipe from Suzanne Somers to make it.
First, I sauteed the London Broil strips in EVOO until they were cooked through. I also used some broccoli slaw, which I found in our produce department. It appeared to have some cabbage in it, too.
While the beef was cooking, in a separate pan I sauteed some sliced mushrooms in some EVOO. After 10 minutes I added 1/2 cup beef broth which I stirred to incorporate the bits on the bottom of the pan and sprinkled some Montreal Steak seasoning on top. Then, after it reduced a bit I added one teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Beef Base and the broccoli slaw. After 5 minutes of frequent stirring I added a little more beef broth as the slaw appeared limp. Then, I took if off the burner.
I scooped some slaw on each plate and topped it with the beef strips. It was absolutely delicious, tender, and moist. The beef base gave a wonderful flavor to the veggies and I think was a brilliant substitute for rice or noddles. I made enough for 6 servings.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Level 1 - Day 86
I've Been Distracted
Between the marketing of my new card line and the beginning of the much-anticipated Casey Anthony trial here in Florida, I've neglected my blog. And, as far as eating has been concerned, I've been doing a lot of pre-made food like deli roasted chicken, salads, a Subway sandwich, and frozen leftovers. And, one night we went out for an ice cream.
But, tonight I got back on track and made a lovely meal. Plus, I got my butt out of the house and got some groceries. I always do better when there's planned meals in the house.
Through it all, I'm pleased to say that I didn't totally blow it! Other than the ice cream, our meals were within reason but I didn't balance them as well as I should have. And, I skipped a lot of snacks and made up for it by eating a little more at lunch and dinner. Not the best way to loose weight, but it could have been worse. We'll see what happens with the scale on Friday.
Breakfast - Fruit smoothie; then 20 minutes later I had some cereal.
AM Snack - Skipped
Lunch - The last of the tomato soup and a spinach salad.
PM Snack - Skipped
Dinner - Thick, pan-fried pork chops in a little EVOO topped with Wild Mushroom Sauce (SS web site) and organic canned beans. The sauce was absolutely wonderful. And, if you like mushrooms you'll love the addition of this topping.
I've never thought about eating mushrooms with pork as it's more common to pair them with beef. But, this dish was amazing because the sauce took a protein that tends to be a little dry and elevated it to something spectacular.
In fact, I doubled the sauce recipe . . . because I made enough pork chops for two meals ... but found it hard not to eat it all in one sitting. Both my hubby and I were wanting more! Thanks Suzanne for this wonderful suggestion.
Between the marketing of my new card line and the beginning of the much-anticipated Casey Anthony trial here in Florida, I've neglected my blog. And, as far as eating has been concerned, I've been doing a lot of pre-made food like deli roasted chicken, salads, a Subway sandwich, and frozen leftovers. And, one night we went out for an ice cream.
But, tonight I got back on track and made a lovely meal. Plus, I got my butt out of the house and got some groceries. I always do better when there's planned meals in the house.
Through it all, I'm pleased to say that I didn't totally blow it! Other than the ice cream, our meals were within reason but I didn't balance them as well as I should have. And, I skipped a lot of snacks and made up for it by eating a little more at lunch and dinner. Not the best way to loose weight, but it could have been worse. We'll see what happens with the scale on Friday.
Breakfast - Fruit smoothie; then 20 minutes later I had some cereal.
AM Snack - Skipped
Lunch - The last of the tomato soup and a spinach salad.
PM Snack - Skipped
Dinner - Thick, pan-fried pork chops in a little EVOO topped with Wild Mushroom Sauce (SS web site) and organic canned beans. The sauce was absolutely wonderful. And, if you like mushrooms you'll love the addition of this topping.
I've never thought about eating mushrooms with pork as it's more common to pair them with beef. But, this dish was amazing because the sauce took a protein that tends to be a little dry and elevated it to something spectacular.
In fact, I doubled the sauce recipe . . . because I made enough pork chops for two meals ... but found it hard not to eat it all in one sitting. Both my hubby and I were wanting more! Thanks Suzanne for this wonderful suggestion.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Level 1 - Day 83
A Word About Organic Foods From Suzanne
Recently, Suzanne Somers posted some information on her web site regarding the price of organic foods and things you can do to make them more affordable. I though I'd post some of them for you as they're good tips.
If you can't afford organic food and are unable to grow your own, it's crucial to wash all non-organic produce very carefully to minimize the toxins you consume. Soak everything for 20 minutes in water with vinegar and salt or water with fresh lemon juice and salt. You can also purchase a good chemical-free vegetable wash.
Some fruits and vegetables are higher in toxins than others. Therefore, if you can't go organic, try to avoid: grapes, apples, lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, pears, kale, and celery. On the other hand, produce that is lowest in pesticides includes: broccoli, bananas, avocados, cabbage, watermelon, sweet peas, sweet corn, papayas, mangoes, pineapples, onions, shallots, kiwis, and asparagus.
Here's our meals for the day:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and sliced tomatoes on the side.
AM Snack - Melon balls.
Lunch - The last of the Veal Stew from Day 78.
PM Snack - A handful of cashews.
Dinner - Summer Tomato Soup with Basil Pistou (SS web site) and an Open-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich (SS web site). The sandwich takes this meal to a Level 1.
One of my most favorite comfort food meals is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Only, before Suzanne I used canned Campbell's soup ... but what a difference homemade makes. And, it's surprisingly easy to make. But, the real whopper-of-a-difference is adding the basis pistou ... wow, wow, wow! It takes this simple soup to gourmet with a flair.
To make the soup you basically chop a bunch of tomatoes. I doubled the recipe so I'd have plenty for leftovers. At the same time, saute sliced onions; then add some smashed garlic. Once caramelized, add the tomatoes and simmer for a bit. Then, puree it all ... and it's done! Don't forget to top it with some basil pistou. It's worth making.
Recently, Suzanne Somers posted some information on her web site regarding the price of organic foods and things you can do to make them more affordable. I though I'd post some of them for you as they're good tips.
Here's our meals for the day:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and sliced tomatoes on the side.
AM Snack - Melon balls.
Lunch - The last of the Veal Stew from Day 78.
PM Snack - A handful of cashews.
Dinner - Summer Tomato Soup with Basil Pistou (SS web site) and an Open-Faced Grilled Cheese Sandwich (SS web site). The sandwich takes this meal to a Level 1.
One of my most favorite comfort food meals is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Only, before Suzanne I used canned Campbell's soup ... but what a difference homemade makes. And, it's surprisingly easy to make. But, the real whopper-of-a-difference is adding the basis pistou ... wow, wow, wow! It takes this simple soup to gourmet with a flair.
To make the soup you basically chop a bunch of tomatoes. I doubled the recipe so I'd have plenty for leftovers. At the same time, saute sliced onions; then add some smashed garlic. Once caramelized, add the tomatoes and simmer for a bit. Then, puree it all ... and it's done! Don't forget to top it with some basil pistou. It's worth making.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Level 1 - Day 81 (Weigh-In Day)
Slow And Steady Goes The Snail
In many ways, I feel like a snail. They have intricate shells that hide a snail inside. Like snails, I too have an outer shell that I call unwanted fat ... and inside the shell is the skinny person I want to be. So, I'm working hard to get rid of that shell.
Second, the scale has been moving like a snail, too. With the exception of the first few weeks, and one week where I gained a pound due to lots out-of-town company, I've been consistently losing one pound per week. And that's okay with me. I read somewhere that if you lose weight too fast, it will come back even faster.
So with that said, I'm delighted to tell you that I lost another pound this week. Making a total of 17 pounds; with 13 to go. Yeah. And my hubby lost one pound, too. So, he's back to the original 21 pounds he lost about a month ago. Hopefully, the scale will continue to move for him, as well, so he can reach his goal of 30 pounds.
I think he was kidding, and maybe not. But, my hubby told me he wanted to give me a chance to catch up to him for all my hard work in planning and preparing all the meals. What do you think? Am I being scammed?
Breakfast - The last of the Cheerios with non-fat milk.
AM Snack - A yummy fruit smoothie.
Lunch - Leftover Veal Stew from day 78.
PM Snack - Hard-boiled egg.
Dinner - It was a crazy day, and no time to cook. So, my hubby picked up a Subway sandwich ... one of those "Jared" varieties. It sure tasted good to have some luscious bread. I savored every mouthful.
In many ways, I feel like a snail. They have intricate shells that hide a snail inside. Like snails, I too have an outer shell that I call unwanted fat ... and inside the shell is the skinny person I want to be. So, I'm working hard to get rid of that shell.
Second, the scale has been moving like a snail, too. With the exception of the first few weeks, and one week where I gained a pound due to lots out-of-town company, I've been consistently losing one pound per week. And that's okay with me. I read somewhere that if you lose weight too fast, it will come back even faster.
So with that said, I'm delighted to tell you that I lost another pound this week. Making a total of 17 pounds; with 13 to go. Yeah. And my hubby lost one pound, too. So, he's back to the original 21 pounds he lost about a month ago. Hopefully, the scale will continue to move for him, as well, so he can reach his goal of 30 pounds.
I think he was kidding, and maybe not. But, my hubby told me he wanted to give me a chance to catch up to him for all my hard work in planning and preparing all the meals. What do you think? Am I being scammed?
Breakfast - The last of the Cheerios with non-fat milk.
AM Snack - A yummy fruit smoothie.
Lunch - Leftover Veal Stew from day 78.
PM Snack - Hard-boiled egg.
Dinner - It was a crazy day, and no time to cook. So, my hubby picked up a Subway sandwich ... one of those "Jared" varieties. It sure tasted good to have some luscious bread. I savored every mouthful.
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