Good Morning

Just starting this up for the week....

Good morning Mighty slow in here I guess everyone is getting ready for Christmas, can you believe it's so close??? I've finished my shopping, but i'm not decorating at all. I don't always get a tree, and never miss it. I'm sure that once the grandbaby is here, that will change. Decorating for children is so much fun. Are you ready?

We need mediterranean inspired recipes for the holidays. HEY! How about date nut balls? Baklava? Dried fruits, dipped in chocolate?? Oooh, a Greek spinach and feta dish called Spanakopita is wonderful, Mom always makes one for Christmas.

Any ideas?

Suzanne I'm as ready as one can be (maybe, I think lol). Med christmas recipes.... chocolate covered whole grains thats all I can give you at this time lol. So for now its your usual fattening foods, cookies cakes etc.

The only thing I know I am cooking is lasagna for christmas dinner and Christmas night my sister and her kids will be over so we'll have finger foods, such as spinach dip... HEY!!!!!!!!! can that be mediterranean? (maybe w/out the mayo lol). Other than that I have nothing really planned to cook. The only baking I'll do is my thumb print cookies w/aprocot filling, seems everyone loves them.

Anyone else baking ???

LindaT whatcha making ?

What's in spinach dip? We have a couple of roasted red pepper dip/spread recipes in the apppetizer section of our low fat recipes collection. I've not tried them, but a few people have given them high ratings. We also have a Tuscan White Bean Crostine, a low fat hummus, and a few other things that would work! Your cookies sound good

Actually, I'm not cooking anything at all for the holidays, I'm not really celebrating. I'll make a dish for the family dinner on Christmas day, but that's it. It will just be traditional food, though I may brown-bag mine. Mom will make turkey, dressing, ham, etc. I've given up land animals and only eat seafood now. Don't hold me to that later, it could just be a phase, lol. Crab stuffed sole sounds good enough for a holiday!

Hmm, mayo and the Mediterranean diet... Have you ever tried to make mayo from scratch? If I could get hold of some pasteurized eggs, I'd love to give it a try. I saw Alton Brown make it on FoodTV and it looked easy, and is supposed to be so delicous. I only use it once every couple of months, but I'd still love to try it. I usually just purchase a reduced fat mayo, such as Hellman's Just 2 Good, but have you ever read the ingredient label on those products? Whew...

:merry:

Good afternoon Med chickies

This has been a busy week for a lot of us I see. I've been running all over the place doing last minute stuff and think I may have gotten a handle on it.

One piece of good news. I am starting work next week. Yep. I got the call on Wednesday and got to speak to my new boss today to confirm it was a go. Now the only issue is WHEN I get to start. He is having some trouble getting IT to configure my laptop properly - yes I am getting one of those so this is serious business . He is going to touch base with me today to update me on when I'm starting. If IT gets things done today, it will be Monday. I actually could have waited very happily to start this until after the first, but you take opportunities where you can find them. This is at the same company I was at for over three years, just in a different department and a completely different function. I am going to be a peon SAP wonk for purchasing/logistics. Looking forward to being totally geeked out. I also will be in the same building I use to be in so that will be nice.

So this means as soon as I hear today when I'm starting, I'll have to adjust my Christmas baking accordingly. Leenie Beanie, you asked what I am making. I am making breads. Here are all the recipes. http://www.geocities.com/lindat3fc/recipes.html I've made all of these before and they are just wonderful. I picked breads to make since I thought I'd be home and breads are safer than cookies. Suzanne, one of my breads does have dates in it. but no olive oil. I actually, someplace have a recipe for almost fat free mayo I made several years ago. It tastes more like a creamy mustard to me, but if you like mustard maybe you'll like it. Now WHERE is it? Ok, I found it.


The fat-free mayonnaise you can buy at the store is a valiant effort by manufacturers, but it still tastes, well, artificial. You can use this recipe to make your own nearly fat-free mayo at home and benefit from greatly enhanced flavor in return for your efforts. Note that if your store doesn't sell fat-free evaporated milk, you can prepare double-strength fat-free powdered milk. Makes two cups. Per tablespoon: .7 gram fat, 19 calories.

1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1-1/2 cups fat-free evaporated milk
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white vinegar

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and 1/4 cup evaporated milk; let soak. In the top of a double boiler, scald remaining 1-1/4 cups evaporated milk (bring it almost to the boiling point). Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir to dissolve.

In a bowl, beat together egg yolks, sugar, mustard, and salt. Stir in a spoonful of hot milk mixture; then add remaining hot milk mixture.

Place mixture back in the top of the double boiler. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken; it will take about ten minutes. Remove from heat.

Slowly add vinegar, stirring gently. The mixture will be thin at this point, but will thicken as it cools. Allow to cool somewhat, and then refrigerate.

I've made this and it tastes good, but like I said.. mustardy.

I have been running all over today. I got invited to dinner on Christmas Eve and then realized I had nothing semi nice to wear. I had taken all my nice stuff to the career closet this week because it all was too big. I found a pretty off white lacy button down shirt to wear with some black slacks and a pretty silver necklace with a pink stone. Both things were 50% off! 19.00 for the shirt and 6.00 for the necklace. I wasn't sure about the shirt until some woman stopped me and said how goergeous it was. That was all I needed: a second female opinion.

Well I am running at a million miles an hour right now. Lunch was a light Starbucks eggnog latte. I'll need to make sure I eat food for dinner so I don't implode. Happy weekend ladies.

Good Morning

Linda congrats on the Job, I'm so happy, please tell me its a PERM job ? they obviously know how good you are... lap top, well fancy schmancy. My new boss wants me to have one too, you know what I said... HAAAAA HAAAA HAAAAA... I don't get paid enuf to take my job home with me. He said Ok! LOLOL duh. YEAH!!!!! for you ..... Just think, you'll be smelling cinnamon around the corner naaaaaaah naaaaaaaaaah.

Suzanne, spinach dip is to die for, its fattening and oh so good. I hate spinach but once you try this, you can't stop eating it. Its SOOOOO easy to make and everyone, I mean everyone, even kids LOVE IT!

The recipe is on the back of the Knorr's Vegetable Soup Mix. I make mine like this b/c I'm fussy, I just think there are some products that can't be subsituted for:

1 Pkg of Knorr's Veggie Soup Mix
1 bunch of scallons chopped up thinly
1 cup of HELMANNS mayo (gotta be helmans full fat IMHO, yeah I know)
1 and 1/2 containers of Breakstone sour cream (gotta be breakstone full fat)
1 small box of Birdseye frozen chopped spinach.

Mix all the ingred...together but add the spinach last....I defrost the spinach in the frig or under water. Then I squeeeeeeeze the living daylights out of it, to make sure its NOT wattery, ICK. Mix well.

Refrigerate for a few hours so the soup mix gets soft, or over night is best. Mix up again when your ready to serve.

I serve it with Garlic Bagel Chips and Ritz Crackers.

Some people rip the insides out of a loaf of pumpernickle bread and put the dip inside, looks pretty when you serve it, they use the insides of the bread (break into little pieces) to put the dip on and eat. Its good like that but I and everyone I know loves it with the bagle chips or crackers.

Don't say I didn't warn you....this stuff is evil... its that good !!!!!!

:snf:

Hi Med Girlies,

Up and at 'em, everyone. I KNOW we all have a billion things to do and only a week to do them in so get moving.

Leenie, this is a contract job, not perm. I wish. The laptop is a weird thing. I've worked for this company for more than three years and I know how they operate. They never, in my knowledge in the past, give laptops to contractors. I am not sure if this is a good omen or that the boss was given special dispensation for me, but I guess I'll have to wait and see. I've been told this is a minimum or 4-6 months and it can go up to a year. Since last time I was told my assignment would last 4-6 months and it lasted, ummm...almost 38 months I think there is a good chance it could go a year. The company now has rules in effect that you cannot be on the same contract for more than 12 months, so it won't go longer than that.. unless they convert me to perm. Of course that is my aim.

Spinach dip is gooood. Hey at least you are getting some veggies. Serve it with some whole grain bread.. more med friendly.

I am having a baking orgy this weekend. I had planned to start my baking on Monday, but since I won't be home during the day I have to start now. Luckily I have all the ingredients so no shopping. just cooking. Why is it that I don't want to get started? Come On Linda, MOVE!!

So I'm taking my own advice and moving. Going to get out of my robe and slippers and into some sweats and slippers and get busy.

Happy Weekend!

Linda, good luck tomorrow

I have to get up and figure out what we are going to eat today. First thing is to run to the store and pick up some fruit and low fat popcorn. No goodies for me until Christmas day

We are expecting snow, ice, rain tomorrow so I guess my trip to the outlets are canceled oh well lololol.

Whats everyone doing today?

Hi ladies, :snf:

I am cutting church today as I need one day of total slothness before I go back to work tomorrow.

I was a total housemouse demon yesterday... baked 26 loaves of bread, four loads of laundry, cleaned bathrooms, kitchen, made all my lunches and dinners for the week, my breakfast sandwiches and managed to play with the kittycat. Today all I have to make is my breakfast oatmeal, steam my carrots and baked my eggplant rounds.

I have no idea why I made so freaking much bread. I think I lost my mind. About half of the bread will go to church people for gifts but I guess the rest I'll dump at work. Most people are off work for the two week shut down so I have no idea who is going to eat it all. Maybe I'll be surprised at who is working.

I got my 73 minutes of advanced step aerobics done before breakfast, had my mochas and my shannycakes and stuffed down a Promax bar for lunch. I am going to attempt to do some organization of my drawers this afternoon as I've been just stuffing things in there where they fit. If anyone asked me to find something, I'd fail.

I don't start work until 11am tomorrow, so I won't have to deal with commute traffic or getting up at 4:45 my first day back. I am going to set the alarm for 6ish so Tuesday morning isn't quite so traumatic of a change. The furball will be pleased I won't be interrupting her naps anymore. But I think she'll be a little lonely for me at first.

So that's all folks. Hey Leens, what are YOU doing today besides picking up fruit and popcorn? and no fair sayign SOSDD?

SOSDD

Today I got out of bed around 8 am, DH ran to the corner convience store and bought me a BIG cup of Graham Cracker coffee (yes thats the flavor, its wonderful), so when I got up I was pleasantly surprised. Anyone who brings me coffee in the morning is very verrrrrrrrry much appreciated. He even went food shopping but didn't get fruit, anyone who does my shopping is very verrrrrrry much appricated too lol !!

DD got up around 9 am, she ate breakfast and I did laundry. I finally went to the food store and mailed the rest of my Christms cards. Dinner was chicken taco salad (hme made of course) and a clementine

I'm going to make some popcorn and we're gonna watch a movie, what ever DD decides....gosh I hope its not Annie AGAIN !

Have a good day at work tomorrow....