Change is Guaranteed

Several of you have told me you want to see more pics of the food we are eating so here are a few pics. Just like the Ridge huh? OK so this first one looks loaded with fat and calories doesn't it? Makes you want to run for the treadmill screaming. Well, it's turkey polish sausage and homemade sourkraut. Hard to make you ask - certainly not. You slice cabbage up as seen here and add salt, more than you think you might need. Then you take a glass or pestle and beat the salted cabbage to bruise it. Burning calories like Sharon's kick boxing class already. Way to take your agressions out on that cabbage. Now that you are destressed you place a lid on top of it and add a couple of cans so that the plate squishes the cabbage. Let it sit out on the counter for up to a week, tasting it every few days and when it gets the right 'whang' you store it in a jar in the fridge for up to a month or two. In the summer it makes quicker than the winter because cold weather slows down the process. The health benefits....endless. This is an actual fermented process unlike a lot of the krauts you get in the store that are modified and sped up by using vinegar. Probiotics abound in this homemade version and eating a little every day will keep your gut all nice and healthy. This is similar to Kimchee in Korea and other various fermented foods eaten around the world. Americans have stopped eating fermented foods and it has hindered us in our gut health and healing process. Many think sourkraut made the right way will help to keep away cancer and other physical illnesses. I just think it tastes good!!! Much better than store bought;)

One of my favorites. Pasta. Yes we can still have it on occasion and this one is whole wheat. They tast much better than they use to but remember it's the serving size that counts. Only 1/2 a cup is a serving size. Really you have to check the carb count, because it varies from one to another. 15 grams of carbs is one serving. That means you have to check your cereal too. Did you know one serving on Grape Nuts has close to 50 grams of carbs!!! You have to read EVERYTHING! Don't let the front of the box fool ya! The sauce here is made with all kinds of veggies: Carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomato sauce and fresh basil and oregano out of our garden. The meat is ground turkey...what else! I am using Chef's guide for dressing. Our family loves ranch and if you saw this week's Biggest Loser you know Ranch Dressing can have up to 130 calories per serving. This one weighs in at 40 for one tablespoon! It's made with half Nayonaise and half Veginaise. Chef combines one jar of each and together they actually taste like real mayo! I use 1/2 cup skim milk and 1/2 cup mayo mix and ranch powder. You can make your own, but I was in a hurry. It is really similar to ranch and lets you feel like you are really eating;) I know you will ask so the rings on there are pickled bamboo, an oriental treat. My high school art teacher's mom make it and it is wonderful.

Breakfast??? Seriously??? Yes!!! The Israelis really know how to have a good breakfast. Except I'm missing the greek yogurt and hummus. Didn't have time to make those;) Israelis always eat 'salad' for breakfast. And by that I mean chunks of veggies without lettuce or dressing. Sometimes there is a little squirt of EVOO, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Very healthy.

MY LOVE! Jason's Deli;) This is the one restaurant I can eat out at and not gain 5 lbs the next morning. So it's about the only restaurant I do eat out at! I always get the salad bar and load up on fresh veggies. My extras are an egg, a little cottage cheese and reg cheese and sunflower seeds. I also love their roasted red pepper hummus, but I'm afraid to see what the calorie count is. I have kept putting off Googling it. Those little toasts are nummy with the hummus. I get the dressing on the side and dip my fork in it so I don't eat as much.

Chef Smart! I even made the soup, Chef would be proud of me. I usually forget the soup until about 15 minutes before we eat and by then it's too late;( Two happy customers! And they stayed full til supper too, just like at the Ridge.

The soup was Butternut Squash with cilantro. I used chicken stock, and onion, a butternut squash, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cilantro. I also think I added a few crushed red pepper flakes. Cook it all for about 20 minutes, blend it in food processor or blender and continue to cook down til it's thick.

Sloppy Toms. Sloppy Joe's made with ground turkey served on flat buns. The salad is kumquats, strawberries and mango with romaine and strawberry lemonade dressing. Chefs salad dressing recipe modified a little.

I really have seen a difference this week. I am starting to feel smaller and am down 5 lbs. I am guessing it's mostly fluid since that's what you lose first but I'll take it. I saw two people in the grocery store yesterday that I haven't seen face to face since I lost the weight and they both told me how good I looked and that is wonderful no matter when it happens. Continued confirmation that I didn't fail:)

Last Saturday our family processed a hog. Yes we drove to a farm, had it shot, loaded it into the pick up and drove to a friend's house where we skinned it, cut it up and now our freezer is full of yummy pork. OK I know it's not Chef Smart, but there are more mouths in this house than me;) I tried my hand at curing the bacon. Still in the works, I'll let ya know how it goes. That night after the hog adventure I started having pain in my chest and my heart rate was over 100 at times. Steve too my BP and it was 142/84, very high for me so we went to the ER and let them check me out. It wasn't a heart attack thank goodness, but they ended up keeping me over night to run some more bloodwork. That was very scary and I really think it could have ended up much worse if I had never lost the weight over the last year. Thank you again Fitness Ridge for saving my life;)

If you change something, change is guaranteed. Right? Nothing stays the same unless it stays the same. Are you staying the same or changing? Nothing says changes has to be fast. Change can be slow and steady and still be change. That being said, if you do nothing, well, you get nothing. Do something, anything, make the difference because you can and you are worth it. People are counting on being able to love you for a long time, but you need to love on yourself to get there. I love you too and hope whatever journey you are on it is paved like Stop Sign (Ridge humor). Beats the devil out of Three Ponds Overlook anyday.