Living Maintenance - Maintainers Chat: Week Of November 16 - 22

Happy new week! My gosh, I went through withdrawal last week when we were down!! :eek: I thought all was well and we were back for good this morning,but poof! it crashed when I went to post this thread. Once we're back again, :crossed: it sticks this time!

Is it too early to start focusing on Thanksgiving? We're having 24 (at last count) and next week is going to be a major cook-a-thon. So I'm pulling out recipes and making grocery lists now. Do any of you have suggestions for a good, not sweet, sweet potato dish? Maybe a little fancier than my plain baked sweet potatoes, but definitely without marshmallows and all that stuff that turns them into dessert, not a side dish! I want to find a recipe that lets the natural flavor of the potato shine though. No luck so far.

Great food find! (although I may be the last to discover it :lol: ) HiLo cereal. 90 calories per half cup, 12 g protein, only 1 g sugar, 7 g fiber. Very filling and delicious!

I'm a sucker for diet and fitness books and bought Rachel Cosgrove's The Female Body Breakthrough (http://www.amazon.com/Female-Body-Breakthrough-Revolutionary-Strength-Training/dp/1605296937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258368379&sr=8-1). Not so much for the diet part, but I'm interested in the workouts. She's married to Alwyn Cosgrove, who did the workouts for New Rules Of Lifting (and for NROL for Women) and the workouts look similar. If I try any, I'll post a report. :)

Other than that, same old, same old. Yesterday I cooked for the week, so have no excuses for off-plan eating!

OK, time for the gym. I'm a little late today but slept in a bit. Still super tired from being sick. It takes two mugs of coffee to get me in the proper gym frame of mind!

How was your weekend and what are your Thanksgiving plans? :)

Meg, I saw an ad for that book, let me know if you like it! As for the sweet potatoes, you could go for a sweet potato soup. They are usually not as sweet as the other sweet potato sides. Or how about making twice baked sweet potatoes? I've never done it but it seems like it would be good -- bake them, mash up the filling with a little butter and skim milk, refill the jackets, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake again? Or you could just roast sweet potato chunks and put them in a salad maybe with spinach, pecans, and a cranberry vinaigrette.

I'm a sucker for sweet sweet potatoes though. My mom makes the best candied yams and I think I'm going to make this year the same casserole I did last year (from Cooking Light, recipe here (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1673131)), which does have marshmallows.

I'm tired this morning too. I went to bed at 10, but DH was up late watching football so of course I woke up when he came to bed (which, BTW, we won, go Colts!). Then even though he was tired he was too excited from the dramatic ending of the game to fall asleep right away and tossed and turned for a while.

Weekend was good. I got in workouts both days, which is especially good because today it's raining so I don't know if today's run will happen or not. Ate too much at our cooking club meetup last night, but it was my planned indulgence for the week, so I'm not worried -- yet. Scale is up this morning with the usual Monday water weight. I'm still hoping to hit my 140 mini-goal this week.

I never did understand why sweet potatoes had to be adorned with marshmallows and brown sugar ! How about baking or boiling them and then whipping the heck out of them ala mashed white potatoes ? I think besides tasting good could be very attractively served in one of your nicest serving dishes.

Thanks for the sweet potato suggestions -- they all sound delicious! Even if I don't end up making them for T-giving, they're on my list to try. :T Bargoo, I never liked "sweetened" sweet potatoes either. To me, they're nature's candy, along with pineapple. Funny, since I like almost everything else sweet! (except wine, can't stand sweet wine :dizzy:) I may end up doing just what you suggested: mashing them, and probably adding some cinnamon. Maybe a little light butter?

My favorite way to make sweet potatoes these days is as baked fries, with a little chipolte chili powder.

My old kitty (the 18-year old) is not doing very well and I'm waiting for the vet to call me back. We may be getting close to the end. :(

Meg, sorry about your kitty. Our pets are so important to us , aren't they ? A few years ago my dog , for no apparent reason, bit my neighbor, it was suggested to me at the time that I have him euthanized, when they told me that , my knees buckled and I had to grab hold of the counter to stay on my feet. I didn't do it but have warned him that he has had his "free bite ". Just remember that your kitty has had a loving home for all these years.

My favorite way to make sweet potatoes these days is as baked fries, with a little chipolte chili powder.



Mmm, me too!

Meg, so sorry to hear about your kitty! Losing a pet is like losing a child I think. Just remember that you gave him a good life, and keep the end of it as pain free as possible for him too. :hug:

I've got a very crazy week ahead of me - papers due for all (3) of the classes I'm taking, plus I'm behind at work... :( I am meeting with my boss today and as it is she also happens to be my academic advisor, so I'm hoping she will be a little bit forgiving with me. We don't have any major looming deadlines at present because we are just waiting for approval to begin our project.

Hi maintainers,

Meg - Fingers crossed for the site and your kitty.

Site was out this morning for me as well, so I hope its up now for a longer time!

Crazy week ahead of me, and I've decided to let power class go for tonight. I did bike to work today, so I have done my 1 hour. And it was going into strong winds, and with groceries on the way back, so this must count for something!

Have a great day all,
Rabbit

Meg~so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have a 16 year old lab that is just hanging in there. I don't know when his time will come, but I'm sure it will be sooner rather than later. Everyone is sad about it, but as long as he is still able to get around and his tail continues to wag, we know it isn't quite the right time.

I had a good weekend, we went golfing yesterday and my DS helped me make Cooking Light chicken enchiladas for dinner on Saturday. It was fun.

We're going to a wine tasting tonight. I'll have to be careful with the appetizers, but we will probably make that our dinner, so I'll just choose the good stuff.

We may have added one more couple for Thanksgiving, bringing us up to 16 total. Still quite reasonable, but I'm starting to worry about the whole thing. My Mom & Dad, Sister and Brother-in-law all arrive this Saturday and will stay through until Friday, so I have a lot of shopping to do to have enough food on hand for that bunch. Besides that, DD will be home from college for the week starting Friday.

I've decided to grill a small turkey on Thanksgiving and do another regular sized on in my roaster. I bought THIS (http://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-Turkey-Cannon/dp/B000NGF7SQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1258399599&sr=8-2) to use on the grill. I hope it works!

Meg, 24 for dinner--ack! My house wouldn't even hold 24 much less my table. I like this recipe: http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/thanksgivin1/r/mashedsweetpot.htm.

I'm so sorry about your cat. It's hard to lose a pet, but a pet that's been with you for probably longer than your kids lived at home is an especially difficult loss.

Jessica, glad you had a good weekend.

Bargoo, my son's GF made the canned yam/marshmallow thing last year, and I felt obligated to choke down a bite. I'd never had that particular dish before, and this year I said I'd make the sweet pototoes because I never want to have that marshmallow thing again.

Iris, good luck with your crazy week--take care of yourself.

Rabbit, biking into the wind, with groceries no less, must count for two workouts at least!

Allison, a 16-year old Lab is incredible. He's obviously been well taken care of to live that long. Grilling a turkey only happens in CA, I think.

Our kitchen is almost done. The electrician is here, and we should be able to move the stove and refrigerator back in their places. No more fridge in the dining room! No more cooking in the crockpot and toaster oven (although I kind of like the toaster oven)! The plumbing should be done tomorrow, which will be a relief. Doing dishes in the bathtub gets really old. My DH can hardly wait for the dishwasher to be installed.

My DS gave me my granddaughter's bath chair to rehome. He's slowly letting go of some of her stuff. I made my DH go get it because I haven't been able to go into my son's house since the funeral reception. Frankly, I wish he'd move, but I know that's not going to happen, and I know I need to get over it.

Have a good Monday, everyone!

Good afternoon! Quick flyby from my vacation while DH is out buying wasp spray and dish soap.

I love sweet potatoes, have to find more ways to prepare them. I've had the twice baked ones before, but they seemed too sweet for me the way they were prepared. My mom makes the baked ones with pecans and brown sugar but I've never actually tried them. I was such a picky eater in my past... I like the idea of roasting cubes for a salad, but have to admit I don't actually know how to roast potatoes without lots of butter. Hmm.

Meg - sorry about your kitty. :hug:

Jessica - that was a great game!

Bargoo - no problems with your dog biting since that incident?

Iris - good luck this week.

Rabbit - the wind and groceries definitely help! :)

Allison - that looks pretty cool for your grill, I'm sure it will work.

Sheila - glad your kitchen is almost done, and that DS is doing well. I would have had a hard time going in the house, too. :hug:

I'm not being as careful with my calories this trip, so we will see what happens on the scale on Thursday morning. We have planned meals that aren't terrible for us and aren't stocked up with too much junk, so I'm thinking I'll be okay. Hm.

Good day everyone!

Afternoon. Had a meeting this morning, and went almost immediately to a funeral, which had a full mass and a reception, so went on for a long time. I feel like I ate too much, though it didn't seem like it on my plate. :shrug:

We had a good weekend, though a cold one. (it was -20F here this morning - way too cold for November :brr: )

t

Meg sorry to hear your kitty is not doing so well.

Pat OMG Brrrr!

Hi to everyone else!

Dagmar :cool:

Meg-- thinking about you and your kitty as mine purrs and lays on my laptop helping me type....

I can't imagine cooking for so many people. It will only be the 4 of us for Thanksgiving. Dd comes home Friday night from college. I can't wait.

I will respond more later but I need to get to the gym. I am cold and tired and procrastinating so I need to get off of here before I don't go at all.

Happy Monday to everyone!!

I am with the other savory sweet potato eaters. For me the potato's are sweet enough, though I like to add a little spice for the zing of it! :D

Here are some of my favorites that always get raves;

Curried Mashed Sweet Potatoes
servs: 6

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 1/2 cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)


Directions

1. Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water in 3-quart saucepan 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 4 minutes. Add curry powder; cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
3. Mash cooked sweet potatoes. Stir in onion mixture, sour cream and salt.

** I have also added in cumin and cinnamon to this and it was fabulous.

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I was looking for something pretty and special when I happened across this recipe. I will leave the link as well, you have got to see the picture these are gorgeous on your Thanksgiving table!! I did modify the sweet potato side of this because it called for orange juice & honey. Instead I used skim milk, becel marg, and a wee bit of horse-raddish for the zing. Mashing just like you would normal white potato's... It was fabulous!!

Here is the original recipe;

Two-Potato Swirls
servs: 8

Ingredients

* 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 2 tablespoons butter, divided
* 2 tablespoons orange juice
* 1 tablespoon honey


Directions

1. Place the russet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Place sweet potatoes in another saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender.

2. Drain russet potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl; mash until smooth. Add cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon butter; beat until light and fluffy, adding more milk as needed. Drain sweet potatoes and place in another bowl; mash until smooth. Add the orange juice, honey and remaining butter.

**3. Insert tip #409 into a pastry bag. Spoon russet potato mixture into one side of the bag; spoon sweet potato mixture into the other side.**

4. Pipe 3-in. swirls, forming large rosettes, onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and tops are lightly browned.

** I find it easier, cleaner, and less messy all the way around to just snip the edge off a large freezer bag and pipe that way. When your done... toss the bag. :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Two-Potato-Swirls/Detail.aspx

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Sometimes compromises from both camps of sweet sweet potato lovers and savory sweet potato lovers are called for. This last recipe fits the bill perfectly!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey
servs 12

Ingredients

* 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1/2 cup honey
* 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
* 2 tablespoons walnut oil
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, honey, ginger, walnut oil, cardamom, and pepper. Transfer to a large cast iron frying pan.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir the potatoes to expose the pieces from the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized on the outside.
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I now return you to your weekly chatter. :hug: :D

Yum, that curried sweet potato recipe looks great!

Meg, sorry about the kitty. :hug:

Shannon, to roast potatoes I usually cover a jelly roll pan with foil, spray with Pam, spread out the cubed potatoes on it, then spray the cubes with Pam. I bake at 425 until they're browned, stirring a couple times (time depends how big your cubes are). I use the same technique -- spraying with cooking spray -- for all sorts of other things too, like asparagus, squash, etc. Sometimes I sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

My dad's roasted potatoes, on the other hand, are coating in massive quantities of butter. No wonder they taste so good. Did I tell you guys about my dad's mashed potatoes? He makes them with so much margarine that they turn yellow. The first time I had mashed potatoes at someone else's house I was confused because they were white! :lol:

Pat, so cold! :brr: I would hide wrapped up in a blanket next to a fire if it was that cold here!

So last night, first I had a nightmare about someone trying to kill my dog. :fr: Then when I finally got back to sleep (after many snuggles with my perfectly healthy doggie), I had not one but TWO dreams about eating cake and cookies. Like, massive quantities of cake and cookies. I dreamt that it was DH's cousin's birthday and his other cousin brought these two giant carrot cakes to celebrate, and someone else brought cookies.

The holiday season is hitting hard. I can feel my willpower eroding.

laughing at your yellow potatoes Jessica!!!

My mashed potato recipe (not sweet potatoes) calls for butter, whipping cream and sour cream. You can imagine how decadent they are (creamy, yummy, can't eat much).

My wine tasting went well last night. DH and I were the youngest there! But we had a good time and tasted some good and some not so good wines. We bought a case of a red blend that we both liked and we'll split it with DH's parents. The buffet was perfect! Bristol Farms catered it and more than 2/3's of it was fresh fruit--melons, pineapple, grapes (so huge and good!), berries, baby apples...then they had several gourmet cheeses to try and some crackers. We didn't eat too much and came home and had some leftover pasta, but I don't feel like we ate all that much. This morning I'm not yet hungry--that comes from a great night sleep!

All that and my weight remains unchanged since my return from Italy. (sigh) I really have to evaluate what I'm not doing right.

Jessica-- weird dreams! Last night must have been the night for weird dreams though. I had a dream about a young co-worker. I was talking to her about her breasts (!) and she was telling me they were real and she had "gotten" them when she had cancer at age 20. I was trying to tell her they weren't "real" and she was arguing with me. I thought that dream was weird until my dd woke up this morning. This one will top the weird dreams!! My dd (14) dreamt that she was writing her Spanish essay. For whatever reason she had a pen in her bed (she said she had been doing homework in bed), and when she woke up this morning she had written ALL OVER herself, her PILLOW, and her SHEETS!! She was practically covered, front and back, hands, neck, etc. with just scribbles. I don't know how she reached some places. Her pillow actually had something resembling Spanish on it. She didn't have time for a shower so luckily most of it is covered by clothes! Weird....

Down below my red line this morning - first time this month. :dance:

Have a great hump day all!

Dagmar :D

Good job Dagmar!

Michelle, oh my goodness, that's funny about your DD's dream, and yet not so funny. It's incredible what the unconscious mind can do.

Dagmar, excellent job! :bravo:

Allison, sounds like a fun evening. Can you tell us the name of the wine? I'm always on the lookout for something new. We're doing the after-Thanksgiving tour of the local vineyards.

Jessica, maybe this will help :dust:

So I got home last night, excited because our kitchen was done--and it wasn't. Our handyperson said the faucet we bought was leaking. I called the company (Kohler), and the faucet appears to have been defective. We got another one last night, and the handyperson will install it today plus he had to get some different piping for the microwave vent over the stove. After that there are a couple of things (my DH is putting in the trim around the window, and the cabinet guy needed to replace one door), but once the microwave and sink/dishwasher are working, I'm counting the project as DONE!

Hope everyone is having a good Wedneday!

Dagmar~great news!!!

Sheila~I'll let you know tomorrow.

Pat~so have you ever tried (or even seen) jellied moose nose?

Pat~so have you ever tried (or even seen) jellied moose nose?

That is hilarious! Why just the nose? :rofl:

Can ya tell I've had a long day?

Dagmar :tired:

Okay, so I'm waiting to hear the answer to that question, Pat!

My kitchen is functional! It's so nice to do dishes (okay, have DH do dishes) in the sink, to be able to fill the tea kettle from the kitchen instead of the bathroom, to use the oven, and to have more counterspace. DH is putting molding around the window so it should look really great once that's done, but right now I'm happy that we having a functioning kitchen again.

I was going to try to get to the gym four times this week (I count my hours at the shelter as exercise for a fifth day--if you've ever walked a pitbull or a young, unruly Lab, you'll know that it truly is exercise when you do it for six hours), but I must have overdone it yesterday (or perhaps it was that last pitbull on Tuesday) because I hurt, and not a "good" hurt. Perhaps it was the massage, which is never pleasant, but the results are eventually worth the pain.

Speaking of dogs, what do you think of this guy? A face only a mother could love.

Have a joy filled day!

Allison, speaking of mashed potatoes, I was watching Food Network the other day since they have all their Thanksgiving programming on, and they had Giada De Laurentiis making her family mashed potatoes. OMG. Most unhealthy mashed potatoes EVER. She mashes her potatoes, then pours in basically a stick of melted butter, a cup of whole milk, mixes it up, then adds 3/4 C parmesan and 1 1/2 C mozzarella. Puts it in a generously buttered casserole dish and tops with 1/4 C parmesan and breadcrumbs, then bakes. When she spooned up a serving it looked like pulling a piece of pizza where all the cheese strings hang off, you know? OMG. So much cheese.

Michele, so weird about your daughter's dream!

Dagmar, great job getting to red line! :high:

Sheila, yay for the kitchen being done! Walking and playing with dogs can definitely be exercise. DH got a sore back from playing tug with our dog the other day!

Jellied moose nose? Wha...? :?: There was a kid I went to college with who was from Alaska, and while he never mentioned jellied moose nose, he did say he was surprised that in the lower 48 nobody eats roadkill. He said there was a waiting list to get roadkill moose in Alaska!

In an effort to avoid all the office junk food, I made a spur of the moment decision to take tomorrow off. I have some extra vacation time so why not? Plus it means I can skip our weekly lunch meeting and go for my run during daylight hours. Woohoo!

<---Ready and willing to eat 1/2 cup of Giada's mashed potatoes RIGHT NOW! :drool: :hungry: :lol:

Jay

Sheila~the wine is Masked Rider Gunslinger Red. Here's a link: Masked Rider Winery (http://www.maskedriderwinery.com/mr_gsred.htm)

Yeah, as for the jellied moose nose--I heard about it from the Travel Channel. On Facebook, I play that Kidnap game from time to time and someone kidnapped me to Anchorage. To escape you have to answer a travel trivia question and hints are given by the Travel Channel. Often you have to read a page of information to find the answer and this one talked about the "delicacy" of jellied moose nose. Frankly, it doesn't sound like something I'd eat. But then there are a lot of things I'd rather not eat. (Those potatoes are not one of them!)

I have to admit that the cheesy, strings of cheese mashed potato recipe sounds pretty good to me right now! :)

Back from my anniversary trip, still hovering around my redline, but as I was just at it when I left I don't blame the trip! :) I did go for a run lat night and my legs are a little sore, ate more marinades and sauces than normal while I was gone, so am hoping it settles out to water weight before long. I had a few pretty salty meals before I left that hadn't flushed out yet and I didn't drink nearly enough water while I was gone... Had a good trip - the cabin was cozy, the weather was fabulous. Wanted to stay longer. Back to the real world too soon. :)

Jessica - I don't blame you on the day off tomorrow! Enjoy it! Thanks for the roasted potato tip - I cubed a regular and a sweet potato and roasted them while on our trip, your directions were great!

Sheila - glad your kitchen is finally done!

Dagmar - :high: at being under redline!

Michele - that is weird about your daughter's dream. I've written during mine, but never on myself.

Allison - sounds like the wine tasting was a lot of fun. I enjoy tastings, haven't been to one in forever. Are you ready for the Thanksgiving crowd?

Pat - wow, and I'm running my space heater in my office because it is 48 outside. Eek.

Sweetnsassy - the potato recipes look great!

Meg - hope are still feeling good, ready for your Thanksgiving houseful?

I am totally not ready for my hosting of Thanksgiving next week. I have got to get on track. I completely missed an appointment I had scheduled this morning, too. Got to get my head back together. Finish my coffee. Finish opening stacked up mail and checking voice mails.

Good day everyone!

Pat~so have you ever tried (or even seen) jellied moose nose?

Jellied moose nose? Wha...? There was a kid I went to college with who was from Alaska, and while he never mentioned jellied moose nose, he did say he was surprised that in the lower 48 nobody eats roadkill. He said there was a waiting list to get roadkill moose in Alaska!

Okay, I've never had, or even seen jellied moose nose - ewwww! But yes, Jessica's friend is right, there is a list for roadkill moose. You go to the top of the list if you're on food stamps/welfare, but basically anyone can get on the list. A number of churches are on the list, and distribute the meat to people in the community who need it, including unemployed, seniors, etc. A moose weighs over 1,000 lbs, and has A LOT of edible meat. Having a group handle it is a good idea. If you're called to pick up a roadkill - which is often the middle of the night - you have to go and remove it from the road within a certain number of hours. Then the initial phases of the butchering have to be done quickly, though after that the carcess should hang for a few days for the meat to age (this is the same if you hunted the moose). Churches and other charitable organizations are more organized to do this than individuals, but there are alot of individuals on the list as well. Early in the winter the moose are in really good condition and the meat is excellent; in the spring, not so much. :) Other roadkill - rabbits (actually hares), muskrat, porcupine, etc. - is not eaten with any regularity to my knowledge.

I've been in a real funk for the past week or so, not getting anything done at work or home beyond the bare necessities, not going to the gym, basically just functioning. I don't know if it's the cold weather (now up to -10F :) ) or the darknesss, but I've upped my vitamin B, and begun sharing my DHs SAD light in the hopes of overcoming this lassitude. I know that I'd feel better with exercise, but can't seem to force myself there. Tonight I have a church council meeting, and tomorrow evening a T'day potluck at our square dance club. Sat morning is a library board meeting and I WILL go to the gym after that. It's a planned end to this whatever it is. I don't feel sick otherwise, so it's not that.....

Sorry to go on about me.

:wave: have a great day.

:wave:

This week has been so, so busy.

For those of you who aren't in the No Excuses thread, we adopted a dog on saturday, so obviously that's taking some time (but she's so sweet - very submissive, so we're working on positive reinforcement training only and she's picking up quickly. And no interest in the cats, which is good...she doesn't chase, so they're getting very comfortable being around her, even if they're not best friends yet, they're not hiding anymore).

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/mandalinn82/ellie3.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/mandalinn82/ellie1.jpg

Her name is Ellie, and we know she's part Australian shepherd...the other half may be retriever of some kind or some other combo - she's sort of a golden retriever-colored aussie-shaped horse of a dog.

That, combined with one of the busiest, most stressful work weeks in recent memory, has me scrambling to get much of anything else, including posting, done. Soo....:wave: and apologies for not being around! I am hoping it will calm down considerably next week.

Well, Pat, if you're ever the recipient of a road-kill moose, here's a recipe for jellied moose nose Jellied Moose Nose. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/3850081704/)

It sounds quite disgusting!

she's sort of a golden retriever-colored aussie-shaped horse of a dog.

She's gorgeous! Congratulations on the adoption!!!

Pat - I saw your post on FB about signing up for Medicaire, so I'm going to cross pull and ask if maybe your funk is about your upcoming retirement? How are you doing so far today? :hug:

Well, Pat, if you're ever the recipient of a road-kill moose, here's a recipe for jellied moose nose Jellied Moose Nose. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/3850081704/)

It sounds quite disgusting!

The recipe's the same as making head cheese - just different meat. Head cheese is such a disgusting name - why not just call it jellied pork? Great with dark rye bread and a splash of vinegar!

Is it still legal to hunt moose? My BIL hunts quite a bit - deer mostly - but I don't talk to him that often about what he kills.

I have sampled moose meat - yummy! Buffalo, beefalo, venison too - all lean, dark and delicious.

Dagmar (unrepentant carnivore)

I believe that in some of the Western states, people do pick up roadkill deer, elk, etc. But I don't think it's a community effort--more an individual thing.

Jay

Hi all,

A very busy week for me here too, which is why I haven't been online. I've been out on the boat every day at work (except yesterday when I spent all day judging a local middle school science fair), then run to the gym to work out for as long as I have time for, then to rehearsals for this play I'm working backstage for, home, bed, repeat. I'm breathing easier today because the weekend will be busy but not as crazy. Opening night is tonight and dress rehearsal went great last night. This weekend I'll be at the theatre, working out, or sleeping!

I'm really proud that I've stayed OP and made sure to give working out and sleeping enough priorities - makes me enjoy my many activities instead of being stressed out by them, though I'm glad it will be over after the weekend and I'll get a little break. I've been so glad I have yummy, healthy meals and snacks packed every day wherever I go.

Meg, count me in with those curious what you think of The Female Body Breakthrough. I also considered buying it. I really enjoyed NRLW and when I finished the program, thought "now what?" If it's got similar workout ideas I'd like it. I like to make this simple sweet potato recipe:
Sweet Potato Apple Bake

4 microwaved sweet potatoes
1 cup sliced tart apples (Granny Smith work well)
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon salt - I tried this once and it was gross, but add some if you want. Original may have meant kosher salt, I used table.

Peel and slice potatoes. Place layer in greased baking dish, sprinkle water in over the bottom layer (will help keep everything juicy and more stuck together). Cover with 1/2 the other ingredients, continue layers and finish with potato slices and few dots butter or margarine.
Bake, covered, in 375 F oven 30 minutes; uncover, and continue cooking
until apples are perfectly tender and top potatoes nicely browned.
Serves 4.

Why would one want to eat jellied moose nose? *shudders* My friend from New Hampshire says her dad is on some "deer list" where the police will call people on the list if they have a freshly killed deer. I don't know if we have a list here in Florida but I know that there are many people around here who would bring that deer home if they hit one! Admittedly I might too (or, call BF or a friend to bring their truck to pick it up, as it wouldn't go well into the trunk of my Civic). I love venison!

Amanda, how wonderful! Congrats on the new addition to your family!

Pat, sorry you're in such a funk. Maybe to get to the gym, just tell yourself "I'm going to go and walk 1 mile" or something simple like that. Give yourself permission to leave after that if you want. I have a "just go do 30 minutes" rule at the gym when I don't want to go. Sometimes I leave, but more often than not, I stay longer and feel good about it. Hope the B vitamins and happy light help too!

Jessica, hang in there and stay strong! Just take everything 1 day, 1 meal, 1 decision at a time. Don't get overwhelmed.

I'm going to run along and do some work now. I'll be around today and should be around more next week. Have a great, OP weekend everyone!

I have to share a great mantra that I heard on the nightly news last night. They were doing an article about obesity and diabetes, and they interviewed a diabetic man who said that when he wanted to eat off-plan food, he repeated his (also diabetic) mother's mantra to himself: "Don't dig your grave with your teeth."

:wave: another INSANELY busy day here. I swear...when are things going to calm down???

The cats are now coming out into the same room as the dog, unprompted, and don't watch her all the time, so they're getting more comfortable. She really doesn't care about them, and gets lots of praise when she relaxes and settles when they're in the room, so I think this is going to work out well. I expected at least one of our cats to be in hiding for a month or more, so it's a really good sign that he's out here already, IMO.

Pat - I saw your post on FB about signing up for Medicaire, so I'm going to cross pull and ask if maybe your funk is about your upcoming retirement? How are you doing so far today?

Shannon - quite the opposite, I'm very much looking forward to retirement. It's all I can do at work to keep from thinking "what is the c**p? I could be home doing something I enjoy" Don't get me wrong, I really love the library part of my job, and don't dislike the other administrative stuff, it's the whole politics of the city and the infighting/back biting that goes on in any workplace but somehow seems worse in a governmental setting where we have to deal with elected officials. Thank goodness I'm not physically located in City Hall.

Thanks for all the good thoughts. I'm still feeling blah, and not getting stuff done, but I've given myself til noon Sat to get over it. :lol: I have a work related meeting Sat morning (ick) at 9. When it's finished I will go straight to the gym, not pass go or anything. And I got a call yesterday from the local swimming pool. They have put together an adult class for Christmas break, so I think I'll sign up. I need a change. I've also started sharing the SAD light with DH so hopefully that will help too.

Is it still legal to hunt moose?

Oh my yes - it's quite popular. The state is divided up into game districts, and you have to get a license to hunt (free if you're over 60). There are also "special" hunts for female deer when the population gets too dense. Moose meat is really good, though it's very lean, so it can be dry is cooked improperly.

Take a look at this from the front page of the Anchorage paper. Moose Photos (http://www.adn.com/photos/wildlife/moose/story/1020381.html) Okay, I tried this after I posted it and it does work

If that doesn't work go to www . adn . com and click on the photo of the moose and it'll bring up a photo gallery of 16 photos of it. This is a very impressive moose even for here, and right in midtown Anchorage.

Hi everyone!

Spent a long morning at the DOL for an unemployment appeal. Tired. Got a kick out of the moose pix!

Pat - I imagine that the 'pre-retirement-itis' is similar to the lethargy that a lot of people get before vacation. :) Setting a deadline for your funk seems like a good plan.

Amanda - glad your cats are starting to come out and play with the dog!

Jessica - I like that quote.

Megan - good job with the OP!

Dagmar - ick. Head cheese.

Good day everyone!

I have to share a great mantra that I heard on the nightly news last night. They were doing an article about obesity and diabetes, and they interviewed a diabetic man who said that when he wanted to eat off-plan food, he repeated his (also diabetic) mother's mantra to himself: "Don't dig your grave with your teeth."

Too cool! Front of the fridge!

Pat Love the moose photos - he's a big'un! Have to wonder at all of those people within 10 feet of him taking photos. I guess it's not mating season so he's pretty calm?

I'm sitting here starving, waiting for DH to come home so we can eat dinner. He said he'll be here by seven. I think I'll let him take his coat off before the food hits the table :rofl:.

Have a great evening all! TGIF!!!

Dagmar :D

Ladies I truely hope you enjoy those recipes as much as I have. :)

So many exciting things going on in here, I couldnt possibly keep up with it all. lol

YaY for each and everyone of you!!

pat - great moose pics! thanks for the link. Also fascinating to get a peek at Anchorage. it is only slowly thinking in that it is COLD out there...there is snow on the ground...Our trees are bare, lots of leaves on the ground, but luckily we'll typically be well above freezing for most of the winter!