Anyway, still seeing improvements. One of the neighbors told me that my color was finally coming back. That was a good sign to me. You know, you look at yourself and think, "I'm looking better." But when somebody confirms it, you know it's true.
As far as getting myself on a schedule last week I haven't been very successful. I know I only have a few weeks left before I go to work and I'm worried. I guess everything will fall in place.
I have been cooking quite a bit. I tried out my new oven by making some cookies. The convection part worked great on Snickerdoodles, but I found that using the traditional bake worked better for chocolate chips. I also have been making the most awesome soups. This weekend I made Winter Minestrone. It is packed with kale, one of my favorite veggies. I'm going to give you the recipe (modified a little) because it's so fantastic:
Winter Minestrone
(Taken from Celebrating America's Relish Insert Jan. 2009)
(Taken from Celebrating America's Relish Insert Jan. 2009)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red or white onion, chopped (I used red)
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ounces finely chopped deli ham (I omitted)
3 cups water
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used veggie broth)
1 cup wheat berries, rinsed (I used barley)
1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional) (I didn't have, but I was going to grate cheese later)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil (I just added a little basil to plain tomatoes)
1 lb. kale, chopped and large stems removed
Toasted pita breads
Heat oil in large Dutch oven. Add onions, celery, carrots, and ham. Saute 10 minutes. Add water, broth, wheat berries, cheese rind, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until wheat berries (or barley) are tender. Stir in tomatoes and kale; cook until thoroughly heated. the longer the soup sits with the cheese rind, the stronger it gets. Serve with toasted pita bread.
Recipe says it makes 16 cups.
Per 2 cup serving: 260 calories, 3g fat, 10 mg chol (with the ham); 12 g prot. 47g carbs, 6f fiber, 880 mg sodium
That's the recipe, as is, from the flier. I didn't add cheese (I forgot), or ham. The flavor was so intense the ham and cheese were not missed. The pita bread was great to dip, but any bread would work. I also had to add more broth after it sat over night.
That's my cooking tip for the week. I hope some one tries it and tells me they love it as much as I do.
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red or white onion, chopped (I used red)
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ounces finely chopped deli ham (I omitted)
3 cups water
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used veggie broth)
1 cup wheat berries, rinsed (I used barley)
1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional) (I didn't have, but I was going to grate cheese later)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil (I just added a little basil to plain tomatoes)
1 lb. kale, chopped and large stems removed
Toasted pita breads
Heat oil in large Dutch oven. Add onions, celery, carrots, and ham. Saute 10 minutes. Add water, broth, wheat berries, cheese rind, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until wheat berries (or barley) are tender. Stir in tomatoes and kale; cook until thoroughly heated. the longer the soup sits with the cheese rind, the stronger it gets. Serve with toasted pita bread.
Recipe says it makes 16 cups.
Per 2 cup serving: 260 calories, 3g fat, 10 mg chol (with the ham); 12 g prot. 47g carbs, 6f fiber, 880 mg sodium
That's the recipe, as is, from the flier. I didn't add cheese (I forgot), or ham. The flavor was so intense the ham and cheese were not missed. The pita bread was great to dip, but any bread would work. I also had to add more broth after it sat over night.
That's my cooking tip for the week. I hope some one tries it and tells me they love it as much as I do.
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