Jo-Loved reading about the drive!

Ange-Oh, to be out in the yard gardening....can't wait!!

Fruitlady-Good job getting on the bike today!! Keep riding!

Oh, I had the most awesome supper! Even though I was alone I wanted to fix something really good for myself. I found some preskewered shrimp and sprinkled on some low sodium Old Bay and grilled it on the stovetop grill. It tasted so good and smoky. I made a pan of chili/cilantro/lime jasmine rice and it was good, too. Had a giant salad along with it and was very happy.

I baked a cake tonight. I had seen this recipe on the cooking forum I belong to and wanted to try to lighten it up. Per serving, the original version has about 296 cal./11 g fat. My version has 248 cal. and about the same amount of fat. Not as big of a difference as I had hoped for, but I felt less guilty eating a piece of my recipe. If I could have found a replacement for the butter, I could have really brought those numbers down. I might go wild and try it with applesauce someday....we'll see. Here is the recipe (my adjustments in italics) in case anyone wants to try it. It only makes a 9x9 pan, so it won't be sitting around tempting me too long. It turned out very lemony and so tasty!!

Lemon cake-9 servings

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup Splenda Baking Blend)
2 eggs (I used 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup milk (I used 2% milk)
zest of one lemon (2-3tsps) or more for more lemony flavor

Cream butter and sugar together, beat eggs in one at a time. Sift 1/2 flour, baking powder into the butter/sugar mixture, stir and pour in 1/4 cup of milk, stir til well blended. Repeat with last 1/2 of dry ingredients and then the rest of the milk. Stir in the zest.

Pour into a sprayed 8x8 or 9x9 cake tin, or a round cake tin. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 or until toothpick comes out clean.

1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Mix together and pour over hot cake. Turn oven off and let cake sit in oven for about 10 minutes.

Annie, I had shrimp and salad for one tonight too! Except I stir fried mine with asparagus and mushrooms. Boys wanted frozen pizza so I needed something fast and delicious. Hit the spot! I have to remember to keep shrimp on hand, they cook so fast! Thanks for the recipe, I love lemon cake. I don't know if I dare have it around. I also love orange cake. I've never made either one.

ANnie glad to hear your doing better, the shrimp sounds yummie

Jomatho - eeed new drivers, not a fun time but they will learn and they will do better. I don't envy you at al though

I am beginning to tire of winter usually comes about this time, could not walk yesterday as the streets were ice rinks so walked a little indoors and was discourage about it. Feel lethargic today snowing again, ate too much long winters can wear on you after a while. I just got access to the gym at work so if I cant go hiking at least I can go to the gym. Depression seems to come more often during this time of the year but at least it does pass after few days. Wish hubby would be more active and do stuff with me. He use to be an athlete so I don't understand how you can go from olympic potential to sit on the couch all day.

Good afternoon (already!) from your resident Middle Eastern over-eater and under-walker!

Since I last spoke to you all on Thusday I haven't done much about eating well. Shabbat was, well.... Shabbat. I made the chocolate tart from the cooking demonstration for dessert, and also chocolate mousse, and also Rice Krispie fudge... argh. My 21 year old daughter who lives with her father in Jerusalem came for the weekend and I totally threw out all the stops and made her all her favorite dishes. And ate them as well!

Saturday night we had another couple over for a late dinner and I made two very cheesy quiches, one cauliflower and one corn. We had leftover tart for dessert. And I've just had leftover quiche for lunch. And I didn't go to the gym this morning because I went to bed after 2 AM last night. I so need to get back on track.

We're going to a wedding tomorrow night, so I'm going to try to eat well there, no fried Moroccan cigars and none of that yummy liver in puff pastry they always serve at Israeli weddings. And I'm going to dance my tushy off. The wedding is going to be very religious, so there won't be any mixed dancing, so I can really fly (my husband hates to dance, so when he does agree to get on the dance floor with me it's always a slow sway). Religious wedding dancing is so much fun for women! The stuff we do looks a little like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZsZB...eature=related

but a lot wilder. And we're not so covered up...

Welcome Grammie! And Annie, did your meds straighten everything out?

I made a shrimp meal last week that was so yummy. The only things about shrimp that scares me, where is comes from. Asian shrimp has had such bad rap lately. Some of those fish farms are polluted. But I still keep shrimp handy all the time.

Mirj Wedding looks like so much fun!! Enjoy.

1/2 pound total loss for me from last week. My weight was up and down this week, but I think it was because I was sick. I take 1/2 pounds

A very busy day for us. Walking Shadow this morning, then Costco, ACT class, baseball...

Hubby actually wants to have a beer with SB -- he is NOT drinking with my during my journey, which I find very sweet -- I hate beer, so I won't even be tempted.

My liver cleanse is going well. I had a bit skin breakout, but now my skin is looking really good. My dark circles are getting less dark, and I look overall brighter, even after my illness. I feel less bloated as well. -- I don't know if it is my imagination or truly working

Everyone, have a fab SB day!

Good morning, all.

Had a really good workout yesterday morning--30 minutes walk/jog on treadmill, followed by weights and stretching. I had a nice spinach salad with some leftover beef for dinner, but later I was hungry again. I thought about it and decided it wasn't really hunger. I did have some applesauce (unsweetened, with some spices), but then cut myself off and said, no more. This morning I am down a pound and a half. Yay! I broke the 150 barrier!

Today is a day for light exercise--need to let the body rest up. No SB for me, but I sure wish I needed to do some shopping at a store that is usually crowded (Costco, Frye's, whatever)--just so I can have the place mostly to myself for a change! I guess I'll have to settle for grocery shopping on a Sunday without crowds.

Annie--Glad to hear the water's coming off. I lurvs Food Network, but I don't have expanded cable, so I can only watch it on other people's TVs. They all think I'm a FN junkie! Way to go, walking 5 miles--you're an inspiration. Bribing YS--hmmm, I think it depends on the kid. Money bribes have limited usefulness, because you have to keep paying to get the results. Sad to say, for a lot of people, the is more effective than the --have you tried limiting TV and video games? Say, one hour exercise for one hour video games? Or a one for two, or whatever seems appropriate. I'm only a parent to furbabies--although I was a teenager --so that's just my two cents.

Fruitlady--I hope you can break the high calorie cycle. Do you journal, or have talks with yourself about your feelings? Seriously, I sometimes don't know how I'm really feeling about something unless I write it down and force it into the light. Hang in there.

Mirj--You always have such yummy food for Shabbat. Forgive my ignorance, but it's okay to mix eggs and cheese? You mentioned a cheesy quiche, and quiche is made from eggs. Just curious. Love learning new things.

Sum38--Good to hear the liver cleanse is going well. I should talk to my doctor about doing another one, since it's been a while since the last one.

Hope you all have a great Sunday. Enjoy the SB , if that's your thing.

Kitteh, WTG on breaking 150! I would kill to get down there.

Yes, you can mix eggs and cheese. Eggs are a neutral food, so you can eat them with either meat or with dairy.

Normally when I make a dessert or bake something I try to make it completely neutral so we can eat it either with dairy meals or with meaty meals. But since last night was going to be full-blown dairy, I went to town and used cheese AND cream AND butter, instead of soy cream and margarine. Mmmmmmm, it was so good, and so fattening, but that's probably why it was so good.

Almost 5 PM here, almost time to go home. I'm trying to envision a big leafy salad for dinner, but that those quiche leftovers are calling my name, all the way to the office, argh!

Hubby and I apparently picked up a bug someplace. I've spent most of the past two days asleep or reading on the couch between naps. Hubby went to work but came home yesterday feeling horrible. Thank God for weekends.

I did find out that he's joined the Walker's Group at work. They spend 40min walking the concourse. Yay, for Hubby!

Kitteh So jealous Congrats!!!

Patch No! Everybody is sick Feel better!!

Mirj

Hello everyone! Well, I was back down to 150.5 this morning.... I NEVER weigh on the weekends, but desperate times call for desperate measures! Whew, what a relief. Now to address the fact that I am back on a diuretic. I'm going to check back in with the doctor in about a month and see what we can do about that. I wonder if it is possible to wean off of it w/o causing a huge fluid retaining episode?? I've searched online and haven't found much yet. We'll see how the blood pressure does and re-evaluate.

Mirj-I love so much hearing about your traditions. Good luck this week getting back on track.

Ashley-I know what you mean about your husband. Fiance began working at a new job this year. He now eats every day at the cafeteria there and has started growing a little belly where there wasn't one before! He has never had to worry about his weight. He also buys over-processed foods (Rice-A-Roni mixes....and HORRORS....Hamburger Helper) to fix himself at home. I've gently mentioned to him to try to eat healthier, but he hasn't made any changes. I try to cook good meals for him when we are together, but that isn't as often as I would like. Hoping when it gets warm out that mowing, etc. will help him drop some of the weight.

Sum-I'm not real picky about where my food comes from. Maybe I should be more diligent. My shrimp came from Thailand and it tasted fine to me. I was just so happy to find it pre-skewered and clean and ready to cook.

Jo-I bet that recipe I shared would be good as an orange or a lime version, too. I had two pieces last night, but planned for the calories.

Kitteh-You are doing a great job! Congrats on the 150s!!

PP-Sorry you have been feeling badly. Hope you are better soon. Yay for hubby!! I think I am going to STRONGLY urge fiance to join his gym at work....STRONGLY.

Going to watch the Super Bowl alone and allow myself some fun food. Will try to allow for calories before then.

P.S. I didn't do any exercise today. My arms and legs are a little sore from all of the panic-stricken miles I've put in the last few days.

Oh, forgot to tell you all that I watched a good, but very intense movie last night. Parts of it had been filmed here in Oklahoma and I had been meaning to see it. The Killer Inside Me....VERY hard to watch in places, it actually made me gasp and cringe. But a good performance by Casey Affleck.

Annie- I always use applesauce to replace butter & eggs in a recipe, you do get a different flavor, but it's still good. Much lower calories & fat, you should try it.

Ate too much for the third day in a row, I don't know what's with me. I can't get back on track even though I'm trying very hard. All I think about is food!
I'm gaining weight too, it gets me down to think how fast I put on weight, I feel hopeless sometimes. So busy lately, but still find time to eat stuff I shouldn't, I'm still eating all my healthy food, but sneak in way too much junk food between meals. I ride the bike everyday, sometimes twice a day, I don't even think it's helping. Today rode for 30min. even though I feel so lazy since I gained weight. Got plenty of sleep, this crappy food I'm eating makes me so lazy, I just want to sleep. I hope I can pull myself out of this whole before I gain so much weight that I just give up.

Fruitlady-If you are only up to 109.9 from 108, that isn't too bad. Try not to be so hard on yourself. Would hubby and child(ren?) be okay with not having their high calorie snacks on hand there at the house? I know it is hard not to want it when it is there.

Annie- I'm up to 112.6, just changed it on my profile, I wish they could do without their junk food, it would help alot. Hubby needs his chocolate fix every night, I have to sit there & watch him feed his face with cake or candy, my daughter has all her food in her room, I tend to go in there when she's not home & take some of her cookies or candy. I can't get away from it!

Must be something in the air because I have overeaten the past few days too. DH is on steroids for a knee injury and is eating everything that isn't nailed down so that isn't helping. We had red beans and rice with sausage for dinner tonight. Very southern-particularly this area. I think it's Cajun or creole.

Mirj-enjoy your wedding. That video looked like the electric slide.
Patch-hope you feel better