So...whats for dinner?

Another appliance catastrophe at our house, sigh! Last night, while we slept, our big freezer died. Dh discovered it when he went to get himself frozen waffles for breakfast. We managed to salvage most all the frozen meat, most of the veggies and breads, but the prepared foods were a total loss. It seemed to thaw from the top down, fortunately the meats were on the lower shelves.

SOooo, since we've been having issues with the freezer anyway and because  it and the main refrigerator are nearly 17 and 19 years old respectively, we decided to replace the refrigerator with a larger French door model with a larger freezer and ditch the defunct freezer. We'll keep the old fridge that I can use the freezer for things like stocks, tomato sauces and breads that take up lots of space in the big freezer. I think it will work out but what a hassle.

After all the stress, tonight was Chinese-American comfort food -- beef and broccoli lo mein. I was going to make the lo mein noodles but spent too much time with the freezer. Fortunately, pasta fanatic that I am, I have a well stocked Asian noodle supply. One bonus from the freezer debacle is that we get chocolate tart for dessert that thawed.

I'm watching the cardinals mets game and the wind is blowing so hard in New York that the players hats are flying off! Those of you in the northeast, batten down the hatches!

Nance, what a loss!  All your prepared foods in your freezer. 

Debbie, your cauliflower dish sounds delicious.  I hope you get to a dr. and check out those pains.  I admire you so much for the way you keep going despite serious health problems.

Lacey, your fish-in-a-packet is different from any fish dish I've ever cooked.  I tend to like my fish with a browned surface!  My goal is to someday cook fish that tastes as good as fish in a really good restaurant.

I need to check the contents of my chest freezer.  I know there are a couple of eye of round roasts that should be cooked. 

Thinking of Joyce, Laurie, Deb, Susan, Carrie, Chabba and others who haven't been checking in. 

Thanks for the cauliflower recipe and for the fish packets.  I've saved both.  My only problem is that when I buy cauliflower, it usually gets eaten raw before I get around to cooking it.

Debbie - glad you're keeping up the PT.  Hope the doc finds an easy solution for this new issue.

Carole, I also prefer my fish to be seriously cooked through (and always forget to let restaurants know that when I order salmon and often have to send it back for a do over since I guess most people and chefs like it "rare"....blech!)   But this pollock in a pocket was really tasty with the veggies and drizzles that went over it.  Or maybe I'm just starving given all the food eliminations. LOL! I guess the good part of that is that I was down another pound today. 

Special, do you ever cheat with chocolate given your no dairy diet?

Sorry to perseverate about this, but I think I could do a very reduced dairy diet if I could have occasional feta on salads and parm on fish, eggplant, etc. Separate from the allergy experiment, I totally get that avoiding hormone laden dairy products can't be good for my estrogen positive bc, but an occasional treat would be nice.

Nance, what an appliance nightmare! We are nursing along our 20 old fridge freezer combo whose water dispenser sprung a leak. We are dealing with it by not using that feature....but the ice is fine. I do expect it to conk out in the next year...and yet I am not doing a very good job of emptying the freezer! DH reminds me of that monthly.

Yes we are "thin" on this thread. Am missing the missing. Hopefully they are all busy with good activities and feeling well.

Carole, don't have one but they demonstrate them at Costco frequently. I don't pay much attention since I don't juice.

You're right about how fast time is flying, it's scary! I don't blame you for wanting to quit the ai early. I'll probably do it till the last pill. As much as I hate it, I'm too nervous to do otherwise. It's like losing my safety net.

Dinner will probably be whatever is on top of my jam packed little freezer. I hope it's not hot dogs or something lol!

carole - I have a Cuisinart blender, but it doesn't do a very good job.  I have been considering a Nutribullet.  One of the ways I cook fish is to brush it with mustard, then sprinkle my go-to spice blend of seasoned salt, powdered garlic and pepper on it.  I bake it (from frozen) at 400 F. for about 7 minutes a side.  It gets fairly cooked on the outside but still moist and done on the inside.

lacey - I don't cheat at all.  With anything.  I am incredibly boring, lol!  The reason I don't is not because I have such strong willpower, it is because I was eating very healthily and could not lose any weight at all.  It was not until I started this diet that weight came off so I don't want to mess it up!  It helps that my DH is following the same diet, if he cheats I don't know about it because he is at work, but I send both his breakfast and lunch with him in the morning so unless someone brings stuff in to his office he limits what he eats too.  He never leaves during the middle of the day so does not encounter temptations.  I sent a fruit platter in yesterday for Admin Professionals Day for his staff, but I know they had Cuban breakfast sandwiches too.  I also cook for others, like my friend who just had her BMX/TE surgery last week, and I made her baked spaghetti, beef stew, and broccoli cheese soup.  I can eat the beef stew but that is all - but I do get enjoyment from cooking for others using stuff I can't eat - is that weird?

lacey - all I have to do is look in my closet at all the clothes I had not been able to wear for the last three years and I have all the motivation I need.  I was a size 2-4 for all of my adult life prior to diagnosis, and I was wearing a size 8-10 at the holidays.  I have a lot of clothes I could not even think about wearing for so long it helps me stay on track.  I understand why you are feeling deprived - if you are not doing the dairy-free for weight loss then It would be hard!!!  I was eating a healthy diet (no more than 1500 cals a day) and could not even lose a pound, so this is all that has worked for me.  I have also found that ignoring the temptation completely is easier for me than occasionally having something I am not supposed to.  As a result, I do not go out to eat often, which I miss a bit.

Lacey - Thanks for the fish packet recipe.  I'm going to try it soon.

Special - My SIL has to do gluten free.  When she occasionally cheats, she pays a high price so we are limited in where we meet for lunch.  Jeez - size 2-4?  If you tell me you aren't too tall maybe I won't feel so bad.  Right now I have a closet like yours - from size 6 to size 14.  Don't want to give anything away yet since I have no idea where I'll end up.   I'm 5'8" so I have a hard time right now finding pants long enough in size 6.

Dinner is cold boiled shrimp - already prepared from Costco.  I spent the day getting the oil changed in my car, the tires rotated & shopping for a bathing suit.  The latter took WAY too much time an WAY too much money - but the BS said I can start water aerobics even though my port will be in at least another year.  Now I need to find the energy.

minus - yes, I am short!  5"2" - another reason I could not continue to weigh what I did!  Don't feel bad, I'm a shrimp!

carole - Lol!  I am trying not to even see the wagon I could fall off of!

Me on the beach

Kidding. It's DD

Shes beautiful! I see she takes after you! 

There is no part of me that would fit into a size 2. Ever.

Ditto, Nance.....tho my pinky finger is giving me a dirty look!

Since my kids were born I have been so entrenched in the teens (not teeneagers mind you) size section of clothes racks that I was stunned to learn that my DIL wore a size zero!!  Whoever heard of such a thing! Now I am wearing a 10 and with my large boned frame doubt I'll ever sport a single digit sized outfit! Would love to say I were still 5'7" tall, but alas I have already shrunk (word?) to a bit less than 5' 6".  That was a shock to see last year!

Last night DH had dinner with our ministerial search committee so I decided to go light and had a bowl of the ratatouille I made Wednesday. It was quick and really tasty, and fit into my schedule of working on online CEU courses  I had signed up for last year that were about to expire. I'm on a tear.....and since my off Tamoxifen brain is working, I can rack up lots of  continuing ed credits for my social work license renewal and hopefully for my adjustment counselor (education) certification in the event that I ever have the chance to do anything part time in a school. Can you tell I have not resolved this retirement business yet!!??

Off to start baking for Sunday's church coffee hour.....new ministerial candidate to preach so there will be tons of people attending. Will have to buy additional items to supplement for sure. DH thought it would be a good Sunday for us to do the coffee hour (probably highest attendance all year!) as the candidate he helped select will be making her debut. I end up doing the work for it....not sure that was such a smart plan....for me. ;/

Maybe I have shrunk too and instead of gaining I am just more compressed?  Probably not, lol!  DD is home to work the Sarasota Boat Show, so need to think about something nice for her for dinner.  She has been living with a mini fridge and a microwave since the first of the year, so she would appreciate some home cooking!

bedo - thanks, but the second one from last Christmas is the photo that made me try this diet, lol!  I was shocked when I saw it, it was easier for me to look in the mirror daily and kind of ignore what I looked like, not so much with the photographic evidence.  You DD is a cutie, glad I got to see her!