Maintainers Weekly Chat January 24 - 30, 2011
 

Good grief; Monday again already. These seem to appear pretty often lately. And January only has one week remaining. Seems that my head finds it easy to lose track of time.

I'm happy that my de-cluttering efforts for the weekend are over. Heading in to work feels like a welcome refuge from that.

Good Morning all!
 

It's time for me to take charge of my eating. I swore, when I got under 140 lbs., that I'd never go over again.

This morning I weigh 140.6 lbs.

It's not water weight, bloat, etc. It's overindulgence after the holidays, non-stop snacking on high-cal stuff in the evenings, and 3 days of binge eating.

I am depressed, lonely, and afraid. That's why I'm eating - to cope.

I don't need to be pudgy on top of all of that.

All the snacks go into the garbage can right after I finish typing here. I will rein this in and get back below red line - 135 lbs. - by the end of February.

I want my 54th birthday to be a celebration of my healthy body!

Great Monday all!

Dagmar

Dagmar , you can do it !!!

Good luck to Bill and Dagmar both with their different kinds of decluttering efforts, both physical & mental.

Bill, you're not the only one. Over the weekend, I was throwing out papers and trying to organize a folder full of raggedy-edged, different-sized recipes that I have torn out of magazines & newspapers or printed off the Internet. While I'm cooking, I prefer to consult a piece of paper, rather than a screen, so it's not a tragedy if oil soaks through the back of it or it gets splotches of sauce on it. I wish I could go paperless in this regard, which would really help with clutter in my life.

Bitterly cold here, which makes me want to contract back into my shell, figuratively, but I have a very active day today, including a meeting, a presentation to attend, and a doctor's appointment.

And I'm trying to calm down & get over my fit of pique about my "ruined" Tuesday night. I really enjoy my Tuesday spin class at 7:30 PM. It's not just about the cardio, it's about the music, the camaraderie, and my feeding off the energy of an enthusiastic instructor who's become a friend. But damn it, this Tuesday night my awful job requires me to "attend" a meeting (via telephone & shared PowerPoint screens) with analysts based in the Asia-Pacific region, running from 7- 8 PM. So, no spin class. Instead, I'll be note-taking toward writing up something. I am not the world's most flexible person, psychologically, so I've felt quite aggrieved at this disruption of my routine.

I had an exciting weekend - I got a dog! The very day I was going to go to the humane society to look at some of their animals I'd scoped out online, I found out a friend of a friend (who I had actually sung a duet with in my chorus, bc it's that kind of small town) was moving and couldn't take his 9-month old lab mix. She's definitely got some pit in her, which is typical around here. She's sweet as can be, loves riding around and swimming, which is great for our lifestyle, and "housebroken in [former owner's] house" and crate trained which is at least a start. She did pee in the house last night, despite going out several times, but she's going through a big adjustment so I couldn't be too upset with her, just corrected and moved on. She's already had two owners and two names, Emma and Sandy, so we're going to try to see which name she responds better to and go with that one. She's had enough change, doesn't need more. And the former owner has all her flea, tick meds up to date, she's fixed, shots, etc.

BF also got home from his DR trip, and brought me beautiful tourmaline and silver jewelry. It's really nice to have him home. He's bonding w Sandy/Emma already. I know I'll have to make some adjustments in my schedule and gym-going directly after work, but today she's riding around with him since he's working near home so I can go lift and then come home and walk/jog with her.

Bill, I have no idea where my Sunday went. My weekend chore list kind of went out the window with the whole dog thing! It can't be Monday already.

Dagmar, you can do it! When you want to eat and you're not really hungry, take a breath and try some self-talk before you dive in. I actually wrote down some questions to ask myself, and other things I can go do, and it's been helping for the last few weeks.

ETA: Saef, we posted at the same time. Sorry your routine is disrupted, I'm also a creature of habit and know it can be frustrating. Is there another spin class with the instructor you could take another day? I organize my recipes by category in a 3-ring binder, and tape recipes that aren't a full 8.5 x 11 size onto a piece of paper so it will fit into the binder. Every two years or so, I go through and get rid of the recipes I didn't like, or will never use.

Have a great week everyone!

Good morning! I had a pretty good last week - ate pretty well, exercised, lowered my cable bill by $60 per month and it looks like between federal taxes owed and state tax refund that I won't owe more than a $200 in taxes. Whew.

Bill - I need to do some more decluttering myself, I just haven't had the heart yet.

Dagmar - you can do it! Be strong! :)

Saef - I don't like interruptions to my routine either, the Tuesday night change would aggravate me as well.

Megan - pretty dog! And glad that BF is home safely!

:wave: Good day everyone!

Good Monday everyone!

Wow Shannon! Sounds like a successful financially rewarding weekend. I never have those. Just spend!:devil:

Megan-- Sandy/Emma is gorgeous! I'm so excited for you and BF. I like the name Emma better but you'll have to see what she responds to. Yes, be patient with her. She has had so many changes in her short life. She has definitely found a great home now.

Saef-- don't you hate it when "real" life gets in the way of our real commitments?!

Hi Bargoo and Bill!

Okay Dagmar.... here is my one piece of sage advice (not that you don't already know it). You don't have control of many aspects of your life (I don't mean YOU, I mean anyone) so work on what you do have control of. In your case, that means FOOD, exercise, etc. So, yes, get the junk out of the house for sure and you'll be back to your goal in no time. When I first started losing my weight, I was going through a difficult personal time, and I decided to focus on what I had control of-- hence I got my eating and exercising under control. You know you can do it.

I have my second Monday in a row off. While it is nice to have a 4 day work week, it is a budget cut day so no pay. I've already had a mammogram this morning and am getting ready to take the dogs to the vet. Trying to get much accomplished today!

Do any of you use a heart rate monitor? Like it? I've never had one but was thinking about asking for one for my birthday. Anything I should look for?

I bought a pedometer yesterday (couldn't find my old one) and logged exactly 17,000 steps yesterday. Doubt I'll keep that up but I was impressed!

Dh is gone again. This week to Nashville. He was home for 24 hours. Sigh.... oh well-- I should be able to get in plenty of exercise sans guilt for being gone.

Congrats on the dog, Megan! My best friend has a lab/pitt mix and although he's a bit more rambunctious than most labs, he's a very sweet boy. Good luck with Emma/Sandy.

saef~your recipe "file" sounds a lot like mine! Although I'd probably have to say my pile is bigger. I have a 6" stack of papers in one drawer (printouts from various websites as well as a few torn from the newspaper), plus a 4" binder full of more with it's pockets stuffed to overflowing. What's really sad is that if I can't find what I want, I go online and look for another and print it, too. And I hate having either my routine or my plans disrupted, too.

We had a good/bad weekend. Friday I got home to DS complaining of fever and muscle aches. He'd been sneezing and was stuffed up and I assumed he was getting the flu. He didn't tell me about it in the morning because he didn't want to miss school (NOT your typical child--my DD is the same way). Saturday he was worse and his face was swollen so I called the oral surgeon who called in a prescription for antibiotics. DS managed to take his kitty to the vet despite his not feeling well because DH and I went golfing (YAY!). Sunday DS's fever broke but he still didn't feel well. DH and his parents and I went to see Chris Botti in concert (very, very good!) and watched football on TV. I made an amazing asiago chicken for dinner with a veggie/pasta side. This morning I took DS to the oral surgeon who numbed him, cut him, rinsed him and packed him. We have to go back Wednesday to have the packing removed. He thinks some food got in during the healing of his wisdom teeth removal and the wound healed around the food and caused the infection. I really didn't want him to go to school, but he insisted.

And sad news of the passing of Jack LaLanne.

michele~we posted at the same time. I use a heart monitor when exercising as both our machines synch with one. We have the kind you wear around your bust. DH's also has a wrist watch that he can wear when he walks and he likes that. DD recently bought one that doesn't have the bust part--just the watch, but you have to hold a couple buttons for a few seconds to get a reading--I'd rather have the kind where you can quickly glance and get the reading and go on.

Michele - I have a Polar FT60 with optional footpod attachment to track my miles. I love it, have had it a little over two years now, got it for Christmas in 2008. It is an older model, so I don't know what the current version is called. Hope you have a productive day today! :)

Allison - hope DS feels better soon.

Hi guys!

Megan, congrats on the dog!

Saef, I too have a folder of recipes. Actually I have two folders, both stuffed to the gills. One is my spring/summer folder and the other is my fall/winter folder. I tear up every issue of Cooking Light I get and file away the recipes that look good.

I haven't gotten much work done yet today so it's just a fly-by for me. Hi everyone! :wave:

Speaking of routines, dontcha just hate it when an inconsiderate person throws you off yours? I was supposed to go to the optometrist this afternoon, then the gym, and then pick up The Boy from after school. Alas, someone parked their car smack dab in front of our driveway. There is a rock wall on one side and a snowbank on the other, so I can't get our car out. I called the police, who came out and wrote a ticket and called the tow truck, but so far the truck hasn't showed and I'm still trapped. Our neighbor will pick up The Boy for us, which is obviously more important than the gym or optometrist. But, it's still making me cranky!

I've pretty much given up on printed recipes, except for a few family recipes from my mother. On the rare occasion that I cook from a recipe, I take the laptop into the kitchen and put it somewhere out of harm's way. I still have a cupboard full of recipe books and clippings, though: I need to get Bill over here to declutter!

//b. strong,
Kim

Nice looking dog Megan. Probably mostly pit but that's ok in females. They are generally quite sweet.

And you can change her name but do it soon. If she is part lab then food can be very useful. Hold up a bit of food and say "(dog's name)". When she comes to you or makes eye contact give her the food. She will associate the sound and the reward very quickly.

If you are an experienced dog owner my apologies for explaining something you probably already know.

Dagmar :tired:

It was so cold at work yesterday that someone called maintenance. The guy shows up in my office where the thermostat happens to be (but can only be adjusted with a secret device that only maintenance owns). He's got a small pistol-shaped laser device that reads the temperature of the walls, the warm air vent, and the air. Super neat! I'm a techie - I want me one, I do. After fiddling around, checking back downstairs to determine that the fan is indeed blowing, his conclusion is ... ready for this ... it's cold outside, LOL.

So I worked all day in my down coat - not a problem, I wouldn't have called, but the woman several offices down was shivering so hard she could hardly type. Apparently we burn a few extra calories to keep warm, so I smugly thought about all the weight I was losing.

Bill ;) Do you work for the government? :lol3:

So I printed out my affirmation/ challenge to myself, to lose the winter chub by my birthday, and put it on the fridge yesterday morning.

And yesterday afternoon it was gone.

DH had taken it down, saying
"I don't need to see that neurotic b*llsh&t every time I open the fridge".

SIGH. I put up a copy in my office and stayed in my office all evening. Quieter in here anyway.

Good Tuesday all!

Dagmar :coolsnow:

I think DH trying to eat healthy is somehow making me want to eat junk. Like there has to be some kind of conservation of junk in the amount we collectively eat. :?:

I bet I know what it is. The biggest change he's making is trying to cut the salt so he can reduce his blood pressure. This means he doesn't want to eat at restaurants which douse all their food in salt. My once weekly restaurant cheat meal has been the thing that keeps me away from junk food the rest of the week for the past five years. Now, once a week is too much for him so I don't get my weekly salt/oil/sugar fix, which is really making me crave stuff the rest of the week. I need to find some way to sort this out.

Morning all,

I've been so busy the last several days that I haven't had time to eat extra snacks, etc. The scale is rewarding me - another pound down to 160 despite it being TOM (I never lose during TOM, usually gain/release it the following week). Sorry Bill. :p Lol, Dagmar, I have some experience with dogs but I'm certainly not an expert and welcome tips. I grew up w lab/retrievers but my mom did most of the training. A friend suggested trying to combine names into "Samma"... I like it ok but I think I like Emma better. BF and I are going to give her a week to adjust to us, right now focusing on housetraining and leash work, and once she's more used to us will start training her more. I'm definitely stocking up on little treats to start using those for reinforcement! We will definitely use your idea to get her responding to a name, more and more I don't think she knows her name, bc she will respond to other commands and vocal cues.

Jessica, could you go out to lunch with some coworkers once a week to get your "cheat meal" fix?

Dagmar, oooh, I'd tell DH it's your house too, and he doesn't have to look at it if he doesn't want to. I think his being so upset reflects more on his own feeling about weight loss and food than it does on you.

Bill, the repairman who came to fix my hot water heater had one of those, too. He almost forgot it on my counter and I ran out of the house to give it to him and he was pulling away. He then proceeded to shoot the temp of about 10 things from his driver's seat, thanking me profusely and telling me how much he loves it. I probably could have told him the water was getting warmer after he replaced the hot water heater element with just a finger, though. :p

Kim, who the heck blocks someone's driveway??? Actually a coworker used to come in w stories. He rented a house across the street from a church, and on Sundays his yard would be filled with cars, the driveway and his and his wife's cars would be blocked in. He tried talking to people at the church and they just refused to understand why this was a problem. After about a year he finally moved though there were other reasons he moved.

Alison, hope DS's feeling better today. What's your asiago chicken recipe? Yes, Jack Lalanne led an amazing life. He had a long life, too.

Have a good Tuesday all.

Good morning! Another good day food and exercise wise, hectic day at work. Another hectic one today. I got in a nice run at the park after work, that was good.

Jessica - I was going to suggest the eating out fix at lunch, too. Though might not be as much fun as going with DH.

Kim - my neighbor blocks my driveway, but I can at least pull through the yard. That is annoying about yours being blocked completely.

Dagmar - I would be somewhat annoyed if DH took down my stuff off the fridge.

Megan - I'm glad the training is going with with 'samma'. :) I like Emma, too.

I think it is time to pull out my new running shoes. I don't think I have too many miles on them, but as I'm a slow runner I have a lot of time logged on them. My knees have been sore after the last two runs, and I remember that starting right before I retired my last shoes, too. I bought two pairs last time because they were a discontinued shoe and were the only two in my size available, so I have a brand new pair in a box waiting for me.

I have one. Well, DH does. You can probably find one for less than $50. Google Temperature Gun. They are kind of fun to play with. DH used it to check his tire temperatures when racing. Then DS used it for one of his science projects a few years back.

Oh yeah, I missed the temp gun part. Bill, we just got one of those for Christmas from my dad. Coolest thing ever. DH opened it up and took the temp of everything - the wall, the floor, the blinds, the water running from the sink, the food cooking on the the stove, my tummy, his hands, etc. It is cool.

Temperature gun? How cool! My parents need one of those - they always get into arguments about how cold it is. My dad will recite the number from the thermostat and my mom will tell him she doesn't CARE what it says because it's cold. Of course they might face the same issue with this gadget as well... haha. I need one, too. It'd be interesting to see if my fingers, toes, and nose really get as cold as I think!

Dagmar, how annoying that DH took down your note. Sounds like he's pretty negative about it, but I hope you can be strong in the face of his negativity!

Megan, your dog looks so sweet! Hope you are enjoying the new family member =) I wanted to adopt a black lab/pit mix from a coworker who needed to find her a home, but BF put his foot down. Honestly I have to acknowledge I'm not ready for a dog - I need to be in a more permanent situation.

Allison, I will second Megan's request for the asagio chicken recipe. Mmmm... sounds great.

I can't remember the context of the discussion, but this weekend my BF said to me, "well it's not like you have any hobbies." That comment that really kind of stung - I know he didn't mean it to, but I think the truth in it kind of hit me. I really DON'T do anything, and I've been kind of down lately which may be as a result of my lack of activity/social interaction.

Asiago Chicken

egg white
1/4 c grated Asiago cheese
1/4 c panko (ww if you can find it)
boneless chicken breasts
olive oil

Combine cheese and panko in shallow dish (I also added a little pepper). Slightly beat egg white in a second shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg white and then dredge in cheese/panko mixture. Heat olive oil in skillet, add chicken and cook on each side until done.

Seems to me it called for some fresh tarragon or thyme to put on top and actually the recipe called for pork chops, but I substituted the chicken. Ridiculously easy except if the chicken sticks to the pan which is easy to have happen.

The thermostat at our house is set to 70 in the winter and often it "says" it is 72 or 73 in the kitchen, yet over by the windows it is always cooler and I've been known to make the furnace kick on by notching it up to 74! I don't know what it is with my house, but it is really, really cold. Perhaps it's the high ceilings. I guess I should get out our gun!

Just because I have a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert from the Olive Garden that expires Monday DOES NOT mean I have to go there. I do not need to eat either of those things OR the entree that the coupon stipulates I must also buy and I certainly don't need to spend the money. I can THROW THE COUPON AWAY! At least I think I can....:hungry:

I get coupons for Burger King all the time and those go in the trash. :D You can do it, throw them away!

Mmm, Asiago chicken sounds yummy.

It took me years before I was able to immediately throw away buy-one-get-one-free coupons from McDonald's and Burger King. In the past, I didn't often use them, but I carefully put them in a stack until they expired, LOL.

Same here, and also for Dunkin' Donuts, and for any place that offers a bargain for an oil change -- and let's not even talk about those ubiquitous Bed Bath n' Beyond coupons, even though I rarely set foot in the store.

This past Sunday, I finally let go of one oddity of mine: I tend to save perfume ads with those folded-over scented strips that you tear open to release a sample. I put them in my stored luggage, in clothes drawers, sometimes in my car. They proliferate around holidays when women typically receive perfume as a gift, like Christmas, Valentine's Day & Mother's Day. Well, I looked at my manila folder full of them & realized I probably had three years' worth. It felt good to pitch them all in the trash.

Such is the paper clutter of my life.

You're making me feel very, very guilty :kickbutt:. I have stacks of paper on my desk, more on and in my filing cabinet (not filed but piled :p), and my recipe folder of torn out magazine pages is bulging with stuff I haven't looked at for years.

I did use up most of the grocery coupons on my fridge last weekend and will now go toss the Swiss Chalet free dessert ones still left on the fridge.

Dagmar :dizzy:

Btw . . .
 

. . . anyone eaten a macaron? I get a feed from a site reviewing local eateries/bakeries/etc. and :drool:.

They are probably a million cals each.

Sorry for the food :devil: porn. I will quit now.

Dagmar :coolsnow:

Oh, salt. Sigh. DH and I had a tiff about the low salt diet last night. Meanwhile I discovered that the chili powder I had been buying in bulk tasted different from the chili powder I used to buy because they put salt in it. WTF guys. Chili powder is supposed to be powdered chilis. NOT SALT. Must we put salt in everything??

I looked back at my logs out of curiosity and during my most recent tracking phase (while losing) I was getting about 1700mg of salt/day (which counts as a "low salt diet") on about 1550 cals avg. DH is trying to get under 1500mg on 2400 cals. He's been averaging about 1230mg so far, so I told him one meal at a restaurant every three weeks is not going to bump him over 1500 on average. Maybe we can work something out.

In any case, it bugs me that he's made such a drastic change. I do much better with small, gradual changes. Plus, his doctor doesn't think his BP is high enough to bother doing anything about (it hovers barely above 120/80), and I am 100% convinced that the cause of his high BP is excess stress related to his depression, not excess salt in his diet. I was looking into us possibly taking a vacation with the dog to Door County, Wisconsin this summer (anyone been there?) and I swear the moment I mentioned "vacation" his blood pressure shot through the roof. Normal people do not get so stressed out at the mere mention of taking a vacation.

Sorry for the rant guys. The sudden drastic change in diet is super stressing me out. I'm all in favor of *reducing* salt, but I would much prefer doing it gradually.

Jessica,
Whose idea was it to reduce the salt then? Just your dh? His BP isn't even high. Heck-- my dh's is much higher than that and his doctor hasn't told him to do anything about it. I know I would be shocked and horrified if I tracked my salt intake-- I don't even know how you eat that little salt?? Obviously nothing processed? I try to limit my processed foods but I still eat a ton more salt. I know in the back of my mind that I should limit it but haven't done anything about it-- my BP is super low so no real health reason to cut my salt at this point. On the other hand, think back to when you first wanted to get healthy-- I'm sure that was a drastic change for your dh to have to deal with, correct? Sorry but I don't have much of anything helpful to offer.

My poor dd is home sick. She hardly ever has anything more than a cold but she has something nasty-- fever over 102, aches, chills, sore throat. I hated leaving to go to work and leaving her alone. No matter how old they are (she is almost 16), the mommy in me wants to stay home and take care of her. Of course I am paranoid that I'm getting it as I have a headache and one ear hurts. I missed my routine gym last night and I hope I can make it tonight (didn't want to leave her last night as dh is gone).

Do you mean a macaroon? If so, yes, I've had them. Not my favorite but many people love them (they are often considered a Jewish food and eaten at many Jewish gatherings).

On the coupon topic: I stopped using coupons for most things years ago as I found that I was spending more time cutting and sorting them than actually using them. And then I found that most of the items you get coupons for are NOT the best choices (at least food-wise). So now I don't waste my time even looking at the circulars.

BUT--I do save all my Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons. They go right into my car's glove compartment. Then when I do need something (Keurig coffee refills for one) I get 20% off of each one. Those coupons, despite saying they expire, never really do (at least here in California). I found that out once when I was going to use one and said to the cashier that the coupon had expired, she said it didn't matter, they honor them anyway. I've been known to give away coupons to others in line who say, oh, I left mine in the car...or at home. BB&B doesn't care one way or anther, but IMO, they ought to just lower all the prices by 20% and do away with the coupons.

I have to take DS back to the oral surgeon today. They opened his incision on Monday, rinsed, packed and sutured it, so today they take out the suture and packing and see how it is doing. The swelling is pretty much gone, so that much is good.

Macaroons--aren't they just egg whites and sugar? Maybe some have chocolate on top, but I like them plain however I haven't had one in years.

As for salt, I don't add any salt to anything I make except eggs, steaks and celery. If a recipe calls for salt, I omit it (unless making bread). I think that manufacturers do use too much salt in the food we buy, so in that regard it is probably best to make things from scratch, but who has the time to do that? Certainly not I.

Michele, there were two triggers for him to try to reduce his BP. One is that his office is doing a health screening in March and he gets $50/month off his health insurance premiums if his BP is under 120/80 at the screening. The other is that his parents are a doctor and a nurse and they think he should be on medication to lower his BP because nowadays 120/80 is considered pre-hypertension. Previously when he talked to his own doctor about it, she had him log his BP a couple times a day for a few weeks, then looked at the log and said it wasn't bad enough to be on meds. He hates medication in any case and wants to lower his BP naturally. He's also trying to lose a few pounds, which might do the trick on its own.

It was definitely easier when I first started losing weight, because DH, on his own, has always had pretty healthy habits. He only ate junk when he was with me and I used to insist on going out all the time. When he was living on his own he worked out regularly and his diet consisted mostly of oatmeal, rice, pasta, beans, broccoli, and plain chicken. He grew up on a much more bland diet than I did and I just can't eat plain, unseasoned food like he can.

In any case I have always tried to keep our salt intake low. I don't add salt to anything, I leave it out of every recipe, and we don't eat much in the way of processed foods except for jarred pasta sauce and canned tomatoes. My own BP is usually around 120/80, sometimes it's like 125/82, sometimes 117/75, and nobody has ever said I needed to lower it. :shrug:

My understanding is that macaroons are eaten at certain holidays because they're an unleavened baked good -- that is, there is no yeast & no baking soda involved in their making. Just a delicious, moist, chewy pile of coconut shavings glued together with egg whites & plenty of sugar & probably something else that I can't remember. From my former life, I know that one ought not to bother with the grocery store packaged brands. Go straight to a bakery to get a good one. I'd imagine there are worse cookies out there that one might ingest, as coconut doesn't seem like an evil substance.

Okay, was that an enabling post, or what? Dagmar, do you want us to aid & abet, or should we hold you to your resolutions?

Don't feel guilty about your paper clutter on my account. I just don't like mine. The other day, I realized I'd stopped seeing it; I was looking "around it," editing my view, the way I was able to do with the fat on my body when I was over 250 pounds. I've only been looking at the prettiest parts of my apartment. And it has occurred to me that spending just a couple minutes each day looking at each item could help me get rid of it. Kind of like the "lose five or 10 pounds at a time" theory, transferred to "lose five to 10 pieces of paper a day."

Blame my watching so many back-to-back episodes of "Hoarders" over the weekend while making the split pea soup. There's nothing like "Hoarders" for making me want to clean. Five minutes in, and I'm on my knees on the kitchen floor, wiping down my floorcloth, or pulling out the vacuum, or removing everything from the kitchen counter tops & wiping them down, or attacking a stack of papers on my desk. It's like a secret weapon. Nothing drives me to the Lysol & the Pledge & the Mop n' Glow like a really good "Hoarders" episode with debris everywhere & roaches & dead mummified cats embedded in the papers & shopping bags & etc.

Regarding the macaron/macaroons . . . There are actually three different cookies we're talking about here.

1) Almond macaroon - kind of like an almond-flavored meringue. It uses ground almonds and no flour.
2) Coconut macaroon - a pile of shredded coconut glued together with either something meringue-like or, like in the recipe I use, sweetened condensed milk. Often dipped in chocolate.
3) Macaron - basically two almond macaroons sandwiched around a filling.

Saef, you are right, macaroons are a common Jewish dessert during Passover.

And these are meringues. Alone, sandwiched with whipped cream, or in lemon meringue pie or pavlova.

You can lose fillings with meringues. ETA I mean dental fillings.

Well, you all have certainly reminded me that I REALLY need to clean off my desk... I have a giant calendar that I might actually be able to use if I didn't have piles of papers stacked on top of it!

http://http://www.bobbetteandbelle.c...rons_menu.html

Just to avoid any confusion I meant macaron, not macaroon (I too initially thought they had mispelled macaroon).

Two layers of meringue sandwiched around a filling. OMG! I have to find some way to work one of these into my birthday celebration.

I am on day 3 of eating healthily (can't you tell? :p). My treat tonite is a banana - woohoo?

Dagmar :devil: :devil:

I donated blood today, and my BP was 121/78. And according to the chart printed on my after-care sheet, 120/80 is desirable, 129/84 is normal, 130-139/85-89 is high-normal, and 140/90 is high. Is 120/80 seriously pre-hypertension? That goes against every # I've ever heard.

My blood donation group has also started posting your cholesterol online 3 days after you donate, so I get a free cholesterol check. Neat. I'm curious to see what it is, and hoping it separates the HDL and LDL.

I could go for a meringue, or a macaroon, or a macaron, but it's just cuz I'm tired. Getting my chores done and going to bed instead. Night all. :tired:

IMO, only the drug companies want to define high blood pressure as lower and lower... So they can sell us statins.

Jay