Menu Plan Monday - THM Friendly

Wow....what a blessed weekend we had! The weather was beautiful and we had a busy, but fun-filled weekend spent with friends and family. On Friday, a friend called and came over for lunch and spent the afternoon here with her three little girls. We chatted away while our kiddos played together outside in our backyard. It was so refreshing and nice to have a relaxing afternoon visiting in the beautiful weather, chatting about home schooling and things.

On Saturday we attended a surprise 50th birthday party for a family friend and were able to catch up with some old friends we don't get to see very often. We had a good meal and then enjoyed eating cake, which my sister-in-law had decorated so nicely (she is very talented at cake decorating and party planning!)

Then Sunday we went to Sunday School and attended church. After church, we had lunch and an afternoon of fellowship with some friends, and we played Settlers of Catan (my first time playing it). We then came home for the evening and had our  friends/family over for a few rounds of Rook (card game) and munchies.

It was such an awesome weekend! I am SO excited for more weekends like these now that the nasty winter/roads are hopefully finished.

*As I finish writing this up Tuesday morning, it is currently snowing. sigh.*

Here's our menu plan for this week. I am going to attempt to keep my S & E meals on separate days. I will be eating lots of leftovers/similar meals, though, to keep it simple. Last week was not so great THM-wise. I haven't really lost any weight since the very first week I started, so I'm going to try my best to stick very much on plan this week and try full S days and full E days.

Sunday: Friends' house for lunch, out for supper

Monday: B - Steel Cut Oats & Cottage Berry Whip (E)
               L - Veggie Pizza on Artisan Bread (E) Cottage Berry Whip for dessert
               S - Leftover Artisan Pizza (I also made a "normal" pizza for rest of family). I had some Greek lemon yogurt and a few off-plan tortilla chips & salsa for snack)

Tuesday: B - 3 Eggs (S)
                L - Low Carb Pancakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries (try adding 1 tsp flax meal and 1 tsp baking powder to recipe) (S)...these were just okay...prob wouldn't make again. I didn't care for the cream cheese taste in the pancakes.
                S - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with steamed broccoli (S)
                Dessert - 37 Calorie Brownies (FP, I think ?)

Wednesday: B - Lemon Greek Yogurt (FP)
                      L - Caesar Salad (no croutons) & Spaghetti Squash with Butter (S), Cottage Berry Whip
                      S - Leftover Casserole (S)

Thursday:      B -  Greek Yogurt & Strawberries (FP)
                      L - Leftover Pizza (if it hasn't been eaten by then) or Moroccan Lentil Soup & Artisan  Bread (E)
                      S-  Leftover soup (E)

Friday:     B - Eggs (S)
                 L - Hamburgers on Oopsie Rolls (S)
                 S - Leftovers (S)


Saturday:  Not sure yet...possibly BBQ steak if the weather is nice for Asian steak salad

THM - Week 3 Progress (or lack thereof...)

Well this was an interesting week food-wise. I veered off the THM path a bit too much these past few days. Yesterday was especially bad - I pretty much just lost it. Not good. Let's just say it consisted of hot dogs, tortilla chips, guacamole, and coca-cola and a few other little goodies thrown in the mix. Not exactly a winner of a day food-wise. And yes, I felt horrible after.  For hours. Not worth it. Yuck.

Moving on...

I'm up 0.2 lbs from last week. No surprise, really. I need to be more disciplined to see if the plan really "works", which it most definitely does for those are are actually following it. When I follow the plan, I definitely feel better overall, which is encouraging.

Exercise needs to become a priority for me. It's a matter of figuring out how to best fit it in my day. I definitely cannot leave exercise time to the evening or later afternoon. It just doesn't happen. Once 4 o clock rolls around (aka crazy hour), I am pretty much toast energy/motivation wise. Yes, overall THM has most definitely helped my energy level (when I follow the plan!), but it just seems like 4 o clock is one crazy time around here. Don't ask me why. I think I remember Michelle Duggar talking about that crazy hour in her house, so at least I'm not the only one! :-). I'm thinking right now that I may fit exercise in at 11 a.m. and allow the kids to either exercise with me/play (if it's an exercise dvd) or watch a decent dvd or television show while I jog on the treadmill. Since spring has *finally* arrived around these parts, exercise is going to consist more of lots of after-supper walks and backyard soccer games, too.

I'm 3 weeks in with 1 week to go in my THM challenge. No, I haven't followed it perfectly. No, I likely never will. Yes, I am actually seeing this as a possible lifestyle change, though, and I'm LOVING some of the THM-friendly recipes I've tried. Who knew that cottage cheese, xylitol, stevia, and frozen berries blended together until smooth could taste SO good? It can almost....almost...pass for my ice cream substitute. I'm not kidding. I also made these amazing low-fat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They weren't exactly THM-friendly because I used white sugar instead of a plan-approved sugar. I would maybe try using honey or maple syrup next time to make it a bit healthier but still okay for my kids & hubby....BUT the carb/fat counts of it still fit it within an E parameter. It used applesauce and only 2 tbsp of butter. My entire family loved this recipe, too. It's a keeper for sure. Then today, I tried this lemon yogurt for a FP snack, and it was crazy, crazy good. Before THM, I ate sweetened store-bought, full fat yogurt every morning. I really dislike the fat free and sweetened with sucralose or aspartame. But....plain 0% Greek yogurt with real lemon juice, vanilla, and stevia is where it's at. I am so pumped to actually really like some of these new foods.

Onto Week 4...and as crazy as it sounds...this little "challenge" might just continue on past Week 4. I am thinking about experimenting with alternating E & S days to shake things up a bit.

A Good Read!

I recently finished reading Large Family Logistics. I LOVE this book. I got it from the library as I really don't like to spend money on books since most of the time they are only read once, but this is one I will seriously consider buying in the future. It is one of the most helpful Christian home management books I have read. The book is written by a busy homeschooling mom of 9 kids living on a farm. It has been SO helpful for me in trying to figure out a daily "system" for our family. (for example...when to fit in homeschooling, chore time, rest time, exercise, hospitality, meal & table routines, how to include kids in chore time, office-type work, running errands efficiently, cleaning routines & laundry, etc.).  I still feel like I haven't found my groove after having 2 kids, but I think Large Family Logistics will help me find my way. This book is beneficial whether you have 2 kids or 10 kids. If you already have a good system in place that's working wonderfully for you, or if you don't plan on homeschooling, you probably won't benefit as much from this book as I am. For me, though, it has been very helpful since my previous cleaning/laundry system wasn't working for me anymore and we are homeschooling. I am currently in the process of slowly implementing several of her ideas. As things have been rather disastrous and random around here, it will take some time to get everything in place, but the small changes we have made in the last few days have really been encouraging.

Menu Plan Monday - THM Friendly

This THM thing is quite easy to do at home. It is an entirely different story when going out to eat or visiting....I do allow myself to go off plan a bit when out and about. Of course, if I was really disciplined I could bring (and eat) my own THM snacks...but...gotta live a little!

Sunday: 6 inch turkey sub on whole wheat for lunch (this was a crossover...but a healthy one!)
           : Quinoa, chicken, and fruit salad for supper (E)
           : Off-plan snacks when visiting. I even had an ice cream cone. It was delicious.

Monday: Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Cinnamon & a drizzle of maple syrup, watermelon (E)
             : Lunch: Spicy Chicken Waldorf Salad (I will go easy on the apple to keep this in "S" territory)
             :Supper: Stuffed Peppers (no rice for me), Salad with creamy dressing (S)

Tuesday: Spaghetti & Meat Sauce, Caesar Salad (over spaghetti squash for me and no croutons) (S)

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Moroccan Lentil Soup with Artisan Bread (E)

Friday: Homemade Pizza (Cauliflower crust for me), Veggies & Dip (S)

Saturday: Leftovers

*Linking up to Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com*

Trim Healthy Mama - Week 2 Report

I'm up 1 lb this week, which brings me to 2.8 lbs lost since starting the plan. I cheated a couple of times this week (twice I had a few tortilla chips, which are a no-no and definitely my biggest weakness. No way will I ever be giving them up totally, anyway!). The cheating a few times might be to blame, but I'm also realizing that, realistically, I may be closer to my ideal weight than I originally thought. I may have to let go of the idea that I can get back to where I was after I had Elianna.

One week ago I felt like there was no way I could ever stick with this lifestyle....and that is still true, if it means following a strict THM plan. However, after Week 2 I am feeling like this actually might be a lifestyle shift for me. Not a complete change, but a shift...an improvement. Even if it's just a shift toward eating more complex carbs, more protein and less simple sugar in order to treat my blood sugar better. I am learning so much and trying out many new recipes, which I'm truly enjoying. It was FUN to make over my hubby's favourite Chicken Tikka Masala and make it THM-friendly (used fat-free Greek yogurt, left out the oil, cornstarch & heavy cream). He still LOVED it and didn't even really notice the difference :-D. I had mine over cauliflower "rice" and it was delicious. I honestly didn't even miss the basmati rice as much as I thought I would. The rest of the family still had rice.

My kids & hubby are not following this plan. They don't need to, and the plan isn't meant for growing kids who need their calories. If you know my bean-pole kids...they definitely need their calories ;-), especially Miss Muffet who barely eats enough to begin with. Low-fat foods are not allowed for them! It's been surprisingly easy for me to eat this way even though the rest of my family isn't.

 I only managed to do the 30 Day Shred 3 times last week; I really want to find a way to fit more exercise into my day. I have an athlete stuck somewhere inside of me, but I am still trying to figure out how to bring her back :-). I know that when I did get down to my ideal weight after I had Elianna, I was definitely exercising more than I am now and in great shape fitness-wise. That may or may not be realistic in this different stage of life I'm in now...

I'm feeling good about going into Week 3. The plan is to stick mostly on-plan, though veering slightly off-plan once in awhile is still okay with me :-).

Remembering A Friend...

Several tears have been shed this week as a dear friend of mine went home to be with Jesus recently after a 10 month battle with cancer.

She was my piano teacher for 10 years (or more!), encourager, mentor, dear friend, and sister in the Lord. When I look back on my growing up years, she stands out as one who had a significant impact on my life. 

I have known her my entire life and always felt we had a special bond, fellowshipping together in a very small church and sharing a love for music. It is evident she formed special friendships with many, many people because that's just the kind of person she was...incredibly caring and selflessly invested in others :-). She was a gifted musician and teacher and encouraged me to use whatever gifts I have been given for the glory of God. When I wanted to leave Royal Conservatory behind for awhile, she supported me in whatever music I was interested in learning at the time (improvising hymns and playing worship music, for example). Then when I decided I wanted to pick up classical music again, she was my biggest cheerleader as I studied for my piano exam. Often she would get a few of us girls together in the church and have us sing special songs for Christmas programs and things, and we had so much fun.  One of my favourite things she helped organize and invited me to be part of was a performance of the broadway song "Food Glorious Food" from Oliver Twist for the music festival. 

 I am exceedingly grateful that she took the time to invest in my life as a young girl & woman growing up. Full of compassion, kindness, and grace, she truly lived out the gospel, deeply caring for those whom society often ignores. An advocate for those with disabilities, she was incredibly compassionate and dedicated to her own daughter's well-being and the well-being of so many others.

At her funeral, they played a recording of her playing Summer Sunday by Marie Andree-Ostiguy. It is one of my favourite modern piano compositions, and I had the pleasure of hearing her play it live many times. It was the song I chose for my bridesmaids to walk down the aisle to at my own wedding. Of course, she was the pianist at my wedding :-). It is still my dream to learn to play that song myself someday. 

Going to the symphony together, sleepovers at her house, piano parties, church Christmas plays & ensembles, fun broadway songs she helped organize and invited me to be part of, lots and lots of laughs (her laugh was incredibly contagious), and spending hours choosing music together for my wedding are just some of the fond memories I have.

 I miss her very, very much and look forward to when I will see her again in heaven when we can make music together again for His glory. 

Menu Plan Monday - THM Style

Here's my THM-friendly menu plan for this week. Some of the recipes might need to be changed slightly to keep it on plan but most will work:

Sunday: Moroccan lentil soup & artisan bread (E) for lunch
           : Visiting parents for supper. I went off plan a little bit here...had ham & veggies with sour cream for an S meal  (I skipped the crescent rolls & mashed potatoes). Had 2-3 tablespoons of real fruit ice cream for dessert (this is where I cheated a bit) and a handful of popcorn seasoned with coconut oil & nutritional yeast. Also had some of my skinny chocolate and a zevia drink.

Monday: Three Bean Chicken Chili (E) (limited toppings for me to keep it in the E catergory...)

Tuesday: Chicken tikka masala, basmati rice (cauliflower "rice" for me), veggies (S)

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Spaghetti & meat sauce (spaghetti squash for me instead of noodles), Caesar Salad (no croutons)  (S)

Friday: Parmesan tilapia, steamed veggies with butter, salad (S) & mashed potatoes for rest of family

Saturday: Leftovers

Alternative Meals: Taco Salad (S- no taco chips for me)

Breakfasts: The usual for the kiddos & hubby (toast, yogurt, fruit). Ideas for me...steel cut oats with maple syrup (E), Greek yogurt & strawberries (FP), spinach & feta omelet (S) in my Tupperware breakfast maker.

Lunches: For the kids: Homemade mac n' cheese (with tomatoes), grilled cheese sandwiches with veggies & dip, snack tray lunch (crackers, cheese, pickles, meat, fruit & veggies), THM pancakes or crepes with toppings. For me...various salads (E or S, depending on dressing & toppings), leftovers, quinoa & leftover chicken & balsamic roasted veggies (E), THM friendly pancakes or crepes.

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com