Hey Chunkahlunkah, Re your stomach, if it's the tomatoes, you should know soon, and it will likely be a temporary thing.
Re veg soup minus tomatoes...I find that beets add some body and lovely color as well. I like purple beets the best, for flavor. With carrots in the mix, the broth gets a rich color and tastes good too. I learned to make borscht from a teacher who had fled the Soviet Union: country-style spare ribs, browned, then set aside but keep any liquid in the pot for the broth; then saute onion and celery & carrots (as you described in your recipe). If memory serves, you cook those in some water for about an hour, then add purple beets & potatoes cut into chunks. (I leave out the potatoes). Cook ~ 15 min until they are almost tender and, last of all, add shredded cabbage, cook until tender, about 15 min. (The last step would be to add chopped tomatoes).
Yeah cottage cheese in soup sounds pretty strange. It's really good in cold soup. In a tomato-based soup, one might imagine it as a variation on the way ricotta works in things like manicotti? (It has to be the right cottage cheese and I haven't found one I like lately). Ok, a definite 'maybe' --I don't want to lose all food cred!
Yum on the recipes and thank-you for describing it so well that I can try it out. I'm excited at the idea of making more flavorful broths by adding vinegar or wine. Btw whoever said Seinfeld was a show about nothing had it all wrong--whether or not soup can be considered a meal is a consuming question Oh wait, it was Seinfeld who said that! Hmmm I love soup, but if I haven't chewed on something, I don't feel I had a meal. My latest batch has very little broth and so I feel very satisfied. Soup feels nourishing & good for the soul, imo. Remember that poem in Alice in Wonderland?
BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!
- Lewis Carroll
Thanks for reminding me about soup--so many possibilities!!
Tues
B coffee with splash of protein shake & half/half
L salad with vegs, chicken breast; evoo, coco aminos Trying to use whole vegs that I chop instead of the julienned ones from the salad bar as they are fresher and more budget-friendly.
D small serving of turkey chili, broccoli steamed in chicken broth
S protein bar
W 1 L so far
Movement 5151 steps
Today I feel almost as I did before last week's stumble's. If i remember how long it takes to undo a few days off track, I'll be more likely not to stray in the first place. Need to tie a reminder string around my finger.
Sundove, I'd completely forgotten about that part of Alice in Wonderland. I want that as wall art in my kitchen! You could never lose food cred with me, throw cottage cheese wherever you like it. I'm hopeful that it's not the tomatoes, since the soup didn't make my stomach hurt the last time I had it. I'd taken a couple days off from it beforehand, though. So it may just be something I can't overdo with too many servings a week. I think one reason soup can be a meal for me is I eat a ginormous bowl of it. I was inspired by Pho when I first had it about 15 years ago. I'd never seen a soup bowl so big before that point, and I decided that henceforth my broth based soups would be that size. I think I'd really like borscht, and I've somehow never had it even once!
Hi, IPN! Thank you! Everyone I've served it to really likes it and asks for it again. But I've been selective and only served it to people who I know would enjoy those flavors.
Wed
B 2 ggs, veg soup, protein shake/coffee
S protein bar
L protein bar
D turkey chili, chicken breast
S protein bar, broccoli,S salad with 1 HB egg, MCT oil & coco aminos.
W 2 L
Movement got a good walk in the am, tired in the pm from poor night's sleep. Sometimes I can drink late coffee & sleep & sometimes not. 6758 steps. This week's goal is a daily average of 6000 steps, ideally at least that much every single day.
I made a 6,000+ average daily step goal back in May, and then by June was a total addict! It's a great goal to make! My steps went down after I had to avoid walking outside, but yesterday I made the effort to get in 6,000+ again. I'd exercised before work too, and I think that along with the walking is what gave me such a sound sleep last night. I really need to stick with being active so that I conk out into a long, deep slumber. Being well rested is one of my favorite things in life.
Chunkalunkah, I'm glad to read you're getting your outside exercise fix again! That wonderful sleep quality is a good reward. And as you said, a major quality of life factor. I also love feeling my leg muscles getting strong again.
Thurs has gone well so far, but the evening is young and I can get into trouble still.
B protein shake, half/half, coffee
S broccoli in chicken broth
L protein bar
S protein bar
D big salad with 1/2 of a roasted chicken, evoo & vinegar
S Soup, a few bites of chicken & protein shake, broccoli with MCT oil. Whoops.
Water 2 L
Movement 7042 yay! Nice walk in the 'hood. Golden sunlight, fall harbinger. A herd of goats grazing the dry grasses. They are driven from field to field, as a way of wildfire prevention. I think they're the gourmets of goat society.
Fri Plan for the day
B coffee, protein shake/half/half
L protein bar, broccoli
S protein bar
D salad with chicken
S veg soup with chicken
S too much tasting of ground turkey chili
5219 steps incl a walk after working late
Water 2L
Goal is to avoid late coffee and go for a walk in the evening. No evening grazing. I'll be hungry--limiting the coffee will make it easier to fall asleep.
Thank-you Chunkahlunkah! Come along anytime It's just gorgeous outside! Foggy in the am, and then it burns off to the golden sunlight. Usually I expect that light quality later, in August-Sept. I hope it isn't due to a distant wildfire. I love getting outdoors and looking around. I plan to do so whenever the opportunity presents.
I ate more than planned last night. I cooked up some ground turkey--big mistake to do so in the evening when self-discipline is not so strong. I tasted enough to constitute a turkey burger. And had added some chicken to the planned soup. So it was probably more food than I needed, though on-plan food. The scale isn't showing progress, but my body is shrinking a little, here and there. I'm leaning toward getting on a rigorous plan, but that tends to build in some rebound eating. It's probably best to stay the current course, drill down on no snacking between meals.
Sat
B coffee, lightener concoction, protein bar
B2 Hot buffet at grocery store; various meat/egg items some vegs. A lot of food.
L protein bar
D large servings of chicken, with Herera avocado salsa; salad with vegs & HB egg
Water 2 + liters
Walking 7400 steps; Daily average for the week was 6778, meeting my goal of 6000/day. 4/7 days were at least 6000.
i haven't enjoyed walking before, but I sure do now. Running was my go-to but it's not a viable option now. Walking is so relaxing. There is no feeling of gotta get out there and cover a certain distance. It's just one foot in front of the other, stop and look at birds, choose the route as I go along. It's nice to feel connected to my surroundings. Today I saw shorebirds recently arrived from their northern Alaska breeding grounds. Now that's a workout! I also like feeling more connected to my body, and resting after a long walk is delicious!
Sun
Weekly weigh in shows no change on the scale. I'll take it as a reality check that I need to be more careful with food quantities and eating for comfort. Some issues that may be in my way:
1) deadline dieting -- I have a trip coming up and would like to fit in my clothes rather than have to buy a bigger size. That invariably triggers me to eat more.
2) I have been wanting to restrict more to jumpstart my weight loss, an idea that tends to trigger me ever since I did super restrictive dieting a few yrs ago.
3) Weekend drives to help my mother--In a nutshell: a-the long drive in heavy traffic that knots up my back; b-the anticipation of stress; c- the actual being in it; and d-the aftermath.
Walking is my antidote to 3a. 3 b-d requires making 2 grocery stores with food buffets off-limits for the time being. The other issues are things for further deconstruction
Today I woke up sore. It may be from the new walking regimen. I (finally) rotated my mattress, and will see if that solves it. Meanwhile will shorten the long walk I planned.
B shake/coffee
L chicken with Herdez guacamole salsa
S veg soup
D chicken, Herdez guacamole salsa, protein bar
Water 2 L
Movement Did not track today. Housework and a little gardening. Some stretching and easy yoga on this evening's agenda.
Strong awareness and smart plans, Sundove. I'm throwing will power dust your way to stay the course--you've chosen a wise one!
I didn't have a loss on the scale this week either, but I do feel and see my body changing. My clavicles are showing more and my stomach is looking flat. Some weeks just aren't scale losses. I need to eat a little less than I did this week. I ate at maintenance 2 days this week and slightly above it one day. So, on paper, I probably only had enough of a deficit for maybe 0.5 pound loss and, even though that may have happened, water can easily hide that. I didn't have my beloved soup this week and miss it dearly , so I'll be making that again for next week. I'll check out how the beets and cabbage are looking at my grocery store. It may be time for borscht! If they're not up to snuff yet, I'll save that one for autumn.
Oh wait, it was Seinfeld who said that! Hmmm I love soup, but if I haven't chewed on something, I don't feel I had a meal. My latest batch has very little broth and so I feel very satisfied. Soup feels nourishing & good for the soul, imo. Remember that poem in Alice in Wonderland?
IPN! It's always good to see you! 
I'm hopeful that it's not the tomatoes, since the soup didn't make my stomach hurt the last time I had it. I'd taken a couple days off from it beforehand, though. So it may just be something I can't overdo with too many servings a week. I think one reason soup can be a meal for me is I eat a ginormous bowl of it. I was inspired by Pho when I first had it about 15 years ago. I'd never seen a soup bowl so big before that point, and I decided that henceforth my broth based soups would be that size. 
