Lucy you are so busy!

Today's plan -
breakfast couscous with red sauce
lunch - sammich and corn
snack - apple
dinner - actually make rice and barley stirfry since last night I finished up the pigs n a blanket. I did cook the rice last night since I'm STARVING when I get home and can't wait 40 minutes to eat!

Lucy - blargh, 6am train? I'll work on sending those OP vibes your way but I am unsure the best way to mail them. USPS? FedEx? DHL? Do they need any special packaging, you think?

So wait... I lost count... whoa, I've been at this OP thing for 10 days in a row already. Neat.

ob/gyn appt today which I am not looking forward to even though it's routine. I can think of a million things I'd rather be doing than going to the gyno. I guess I've just always been to student health ob/gyns and they are all sick of seeing all the girls with STDs and UTIs (at least at my college, we had a bit of a reputation) so they were generally rude and brusque. Hopefully this new dr is nicer. We shall see.

Plan:
B: ff muffin (bleh... but best I could do this morning)
L: polenta, shrimp, tomato sauce, apple
S: yogurt
D: potentially the same as lunch, but with big salad. if I do want to cook it'll be broiled tofu & greens & mango.

E: bowling! if that counts.

If one more person asks me if I'm pregnant I might get violent

and to the busyness-- it's unfortunate because I'm one of those who likes to sit and hang out. a hang-er outer, if you will, instead of an always do-er kinda girl.

Jaime - You're kicking booty!
Lucy - Dudette, I'm soooo with you on being a hanger-outer. I have spurts of wanting to be go go go but in reality hand me a drink and something to put my feet on.

mmmm dinnner was delish. I really love the one-dish throw crap in a pan meals that turn out so nommy. I also love that I finally bought some chili oil - omg so freaking good.

I have to go do some work again now but I've taken 2 hours off (OH MY CRAZY!). I may only do 10.5hours today.

Tomorrow's meals:
Breakfast - Retry the steel cut oats. If disaster then toast
snack - walnuts
lunch - leftovers
snack - 1/2 grapefruit
dinner - TVP meatloaf and big salad

ooooh-- can a snarky senorita please post that technique for single serving steel cut oats??? I bought two huge cans for my guys and they don't like the texture. Sooo, it's on me

I bring 1 cup water to a boil and add 1/3 cup oats. Stir, turn off burner, cover, reheat in the morning. This keeps them firm and slightly chewy. My absolute favorite way to eat them is with a smashed up banana, a tablespoon pecans and a sprinkle of chocolate chips. If I am feeling healthier I just dice an apple, sprinkle with cinnamon and cook for a minute or two in the microwave to soften the apple.

Rhonda does hers in the crockpot. I think she uses 1/4 cup oats to 1 cup water. (IMO that turns them into mush more like an instant oatmeal)

My day was just boring. DD's ears are still bothering her. I was hoping to skip the follow up appointment that the ER recommended but I am thinking I might have to take her in Friday to have them checked. We are supposed to get 5-10 inches Thursday night. Blah.

I did do my 100 push ups and 200 sit ups challenge. Go me!

Thanks Billie! My parenting, healthwise, is similar to yours. No running to pediatrician, and I do try to avoid those follow ups unless absolutely nec.

My question re:steel cut oats was actually about the single serving prep. Was it ice cube containers or something like that?

ETA-- and GO YOU!!

My bad. I misunderstood. I think Manick and Pinto were freezing in muffin cups. Silicone if I remember the photos clearly. Two 'cups' was about 1 serving.

I've often made 4-5 days worth and just portioned them out and kept them in the fridge. I really need a bigger refrigerator.

Man! shoot me if I have to go to any more meetings or trainings. I wish these meetings were not mandatory. Other than that things have been going ok I guess. I've been OP food wise and working out almost regularly. I'm having a tough time on the tready. It seems I am running out of steam after 30 mins and I just want to quit after 30 mins but somehow manage (probably guilt myself) into going to 45-50 mins. Maybe cuz I'd taken a long break from it and now getting back on it is harder. But it's been the same story past couple weeks every time I hit 30 mins I just want to quit. Don't know what is going on?

Lucy, I follow Manick's method similar to how Billie cooks hers. I cook it on stove top with water (1 c oats, 3 c water) for about 3-5 mins covered and let it sit covered overnight. And in the morning I add little water and warm it up so it is easy to stir and pour. Then I pour it into this silicone muffin pan and freeze it. After it freezes, I pop them out and bag them and store it in the freezer. When ready to eat I take 2 out and add 1/2 cup milk and microwave it. I am all for convenience

Hair color update: I called them and the girl on the phone said to wash my hair couple times and see if it gets lighter. And if not then go ahead and color it to 2 shades lighter depending on the health of my hair...she gave me couple choices for the colors.

Jaime, for staying OP. And I'm glad you finally decided to go see your obgyn

Heather, Working 10.5 hours I can't even imagine. Sending you good, calming vibes. Awesome on the chili oil . Is that the one with peppers in it?

Billie, what's the sit up challenge? I need to get back to doing push ups. I suck at it. Great job on doing it!!

I'm up and not particularly looking forward to today. Typically on Fridays Gramma B comes over and I get to sneak out for a few hours. We got dumped on last night with 7-10 inches of new very wet and heavy snow mixed with a little freezing rain. I doubt she is coming over. I really should go out and attempt to start moving some of it so that DH can get back in the driveway after the plow finally goes by.

I've been looking back at my last 2-3 weeks. Total maintenance mode. I've been floating up and down the same 8 ounces and it is definitely time to get back into losing mode.

B-oatmeal, banana
L-stirfry
S-apple
D-???

Well I managed to make the steel cut oats w/o major disaster. I really don't like the idea of leaving them sitting over night unrefridgerated (I have issues OK?) so I just cooked them in the AM while having my coffee, showering etc. Not that big of a deal to walk into the kitchen to stir once in a while.

Anj - Glad the hair color is going to workout! Are you going to try this weekend? The oil I got doesn't have chilis but I'm keeping my eye out for that also. I'm also on the hunt for curry leaves. Gah the grocery store really needs to keep everything I want in stock!

Today's meals:
breakfast - rice/barley stirfry leftovers
lunch - fauxloaf and big salad
snack - grapefruit
dinner - ummmmm

So the other night I made Jaime's oatmeal with hot cocoa. Very tasty. Then this morning I got the bright idea I could use it instead of the chocolate chips I usually put in with my banana. I took that bright idea one step further and decided that since the banana was sweet enough I could probably use plain cocoa to save even more calories. Ummmm, not so much. Maybe I will make my own cocoa blend to use for hot cocoa and oatmeal.

Heather - Just for you I will do steel cut tonight and put it straight in the fridge instead of leaving it sit out. I will report back tomorrow.

I'm having one of those days where I want to hit someone or something. I don't know why? It's not PMS. Anyhoo, I'm glad it's Friday.

For the steel cuts, hubby cooks them on stove top for 45 mins or so and they're done. He doesn't care for stuff I put in mine. I am picky and he is not.

Heather, for now I'm just tempted to leave the hair color as is. I haven't bought a new one yet. I might use Henna this weekend. It depends how motivated I feel. The mess factor that comes with it sometimes is not a great motivator . Curry leaves, do you have a recipe or you just want to try it? I personally don't like curry leaves that much. Assuming you and I are talking about the same leaves, we don't get it here in regular grocery stores. BTW, about the chili pepper in oil if you can't find it let me know I can mail it to you. It's worth it

Billie, I've been in maintenance mode for a while. I've been losing the same damn lbs over and over. We can do this . Thanks for the challenge linky. I started the sit up challenge yesterday. I am not sore for some reason. It's like I feel I will be sore and am waiting for it to happen.

Thank you for your food preservation.

I really like them with just a bit of agave and tons of cinnamon.