Soup 101

I know this is too late to rescue Sarah, but I want to share a few tips for soup magic.

In your pantry, always have some cans of broth such as beef, chicken and vegetable broth. Also bouillon powder or cubes. I like Knorr chicken cubes (found around the Mexican food section) and powdered beef bouillon. I am never without granulated garlic, basil, cumin, hot chili powder, pepper and vinegar. I rarely add salt to my soups. Also I always have some kind of canned beans on hand, that's just me and my love affair with beans in every recipe and soup. (And I complain about the gas?)

Once you have a base broth going, anything can go in it. All herbs and vinegar go in at the beginning. Leftovers are heavenly because it is so fast, but throwing any fresh or frozen vegetable in and cooking it in the soup makes the flavors soak in.

Meat is always optional, precooked is best. I never cook meat in the soup because I don't care for the fat layer it makes. Try turkey sausage sometime, YUM.

Starches are fun and make it hardy. As I said before, any kind of beans are my all time favorite. Canned or precooked, it is the same, just as long as they are cooked and well rinsed before adding them in. I like day old baked potatoes which have been cooked to just tender (not mushy, although mushy is great for the thickening effect). Onions are a must and mushrooms (sauteed beforehand) are an extra treat. I always cook noodles in the soup, unless I am using leftover pasta. And I never put in uncooked rice, always cooked. A handful of cornmeal is fun although it may sink to the bottom.

Creamed soups are easy, just add hot milk (non-fat is as good as half and half) at the end with mushy potatoes or potato flakes. A little butter is very good, although I never add it or I will get used to the heavenly taste again and lose my control. A more time consuming but more reliable thickener is making a small pan of white sauce, to which you can also add cheddar cheese in vegetable soups, then slowly pour it hot and thick into the soup stock, stirring well while pouring. We have used canned refried beans (not in creamy soup) to thicken it as well, but it would be a little weird to explain this to guests. In fact we call soup we have added refried beans to "Bum Stew".

I sometimes add a can of Tomatoes to add color and a new flavor. Nothing comes close to my home canned tomatoes, even though I use store bought when I don't have any of my own. I always cut them up small before adding.

This took a while to write but it is fast and easy, especially if you have the basics on hand and after you get a bit of practice doing it. You don't need those high salt, expensive soup starters. Nothing like doing it yourself. Master status brings great honor to you, for soup is a favorite of everyone.

Fruit Compost...er I mean Compote!!

Hey all...well for my first post, I'd like to just pass along a very simple recipe for a delicious fruit-sauce topping for light vanilla ice cream or froze yogurt. It's actually called "compote" which dad likes to call "compost" which of course brings lots of laughter to the dessert table. Here it is:

(all amounts are approximate and very flexible)

1 carton fresh strawberries cut up
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 bag frozen raspberries (no sugar added, just fresh-frozen whole fruit)

Lay the frozen raspberries out on a cookie sheet and allow to thaw for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, cut up the strawberries into hawaiian-haystacks-tomato-sized pieces. Rinse the blueberries and chuck them right into the bowl with the strawberries. By now the raspberries should be soggy. Spoon them into the mixture and use the spatula to scrape all the juice in. Use a big fat spoon to mix it all together, then cover with plastic wrap and let it sit awhile. This will allow the raspberries to thaw fully and the juices will blend together. Now you have an awesome, all-natural, no sugar added, tart and tasty topping. As long as you are smart about what you put it on, this can be a low-guilt dessert!

Try these bases:

Light vanilla ice cream
Vanilla frozen yogurt
Light angel food cake squares
Plain yogurt (this may be a bit tart since there is not a ton of sweetness in the berries)
Chocolate cake squares

Enjoy and if you think of variations, please post!

Rachie

Good Soup

Mom- I need a good soup recipe to cook tonight or tomorrow. Nothing creamy, and not too many weird things (Jake is a simple man). But something that has a good, savory broth to it. And of course, not too hard to make.
Love,
Sarie

Another midnight vigil

Hey girls! It is seriously 1:37am and I am, this time, waiting for the applesauce to get done in the boiling water bath. Scene: Mom and Isaac slicing and inspecting a total of three lugs of apples, cooking them down, one batch at a time, spooning the steaming soft apples into the Victorio while Isaac cranks out every last crank, adding cinnamon, filling the jars, wiping the rims, setting the caps, twisting the rings, processing them in four batches, taking each carefully out and admire the handiwork, while listening to the pop of the sealing of the 32 jars here and there over the next few hours. In fifteen minutes I will join the rest of the family (including Isaac who had to be forced to quit helping me) for a short night's sleep. And by the way, every one of the 32 pints we canned tonight are for Grandma Dotty. Tomorrow we will finsh up the last ones for us.

I am a bit over the top as I have stacked in the hallway all the fruit boxes as they empty just so I can admire (and remember) the volume I have accomplished over the last two weeks. Seeing how far we have come is essential to our vitality. Journals, before photos, memories and gatherings at family reunions when we remenisce (sp?), all help us keep our perspective.

I just learned how to play speed scrabble. Move over Settlers of Zarahemla! I am hooked. As I nuked the field with the highest score, Naomi, having a lousy hand that round says, "Like my life sucks right now!" I have no idea why it struck me so funny--not able to talk, cheeks in a state of permanent seizure, everyone in a laughing fit over my sudden grip of laughter--but it did. Like Sarah said, with Naomi every day is like a musical, or in this case, a tragedy (or was that a comedy?).

Control, etc.

Hannah, sometimes when I eat something that I know I shouldn't, I think of it like this. In college, sometimes I would go out with, hang out with, or even kiss a guy that I knew liked me but I didn't want to date him. I always felt guilty. But I knew it was up to me, and I knew that I would end up cutting him off because I just didn't think it was working out. Well, this is a horrible example, I'm sure, especially since Mom reads this blog :) but I think we should realize that we have to indulge sometimes. We have to have some white bread because it tastes good, but not feel guilty because hey, we can enjoy life at times. We are entitled to at least that. And you know that you're not going to have white bread every single day. You know that you just had some that day and that you are ultimately in control. If you are in control and you made the decision, then that food has no control over you, remember that!

Ok so I went on one of my long tirades...

Back to business. I am on my fourth day of eating nothing after dinner. Last night I was hungry and guess what I ate at 10pm? A handful of almonds and a huge glass of water. And my hunger for more was not there anymore. And those laffy taffys? I just laughed at them. They had no control over me.

Love you girls.
Sarie

Kicking the Guilt

So today we went to a place called Rumbi Island Grill with Sean's parents. I love this place. They have great salads and rice bowls with brown rice, tons of veggies and your choice of Shrimp, Chicken, or pork. When I went today I decided I would try something a little different. I thought I would get a Hawaiian grilled chicken sandwich. The sandwich also came with a mix of sweet potato fries and regular fries. When it came out to the table, it was a white and fluffy as can be burger style bun! I started to feel bad. I enjoyed the sandwich and the sweet potato fries were soooo good dipped in that dang thousand island type sauce. So my question to you is, how do you kick the guilt? Should I feel super bad when I do that? Why is it that most of the time I make the healthier choice such as a half portion brown rice bowl with chicken, or a Hawaiian chicken salad, but once in a while I make a decision like a sandwich, only to regret it later.
This is the never ending battle.
Anyway, I love and miss you all. This blog is heaven- sent and it is so delightful to read and write and feel connected to the girls most important in my life!

Some Goals

So I've decided. I'm not going on a diet. I'm not eliminating sweets or carbs. I'm not joining a gym. I am merely writing down two things that I am committing to for now: No eating after 7pm. And I am going to walk at least a mile every day. The exercising might be hit and miss, because I don't have a double stroller, I have to rely on Jake's mom to walk with me and push one of the girls (Grace will be in school so I only have two girls). So there it is. Eliminating my late-night binging will do wonders for me I think! And Oh--- I almost forgot! Most importantly. In bed by 11pm!!!! No excuses (unless Lillie creates one for me). But if I stay up later, it can't involve anything except a glass of ice water.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

So, when the girls were in town (so much fun by the way), Rachel bought a lot of super good and healthy food. She dazzled us with her artistic food preparation, it was great! When she left, there were still 5 green bell peppers left over. I decided to get creative and cook stuffed bell peppers. They are in the oven as we speak. Here is the summary of what I did:

1. Cut off the tops of 5 bell peppers and gutted them.
2. boiled them for 5 minutes.
3. Put them in a casserole dish
4. Stuffed them with a throw together type of sauce (Marinara, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ground turkey, brown rice, spices, and whatever else sounds delish.
5. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes covered with foil.
6. Take out and sprinkle low fat mozzarella cheese on top.
7. Cook uncovered for another 10 Minutes.
8. Indulge and Enjoy

Sore Muscles are Motivating

So, Rachel inspired me and Hannah affirmed my resolution to add muscle strengthening to my exercise routine. For some reason (I've heard it all a million times), I finally realized that muscle toning is just as important and effective in your weight loss program as are cardio exercises.

So, after going through Rachel's ab workout yesterday and being sore after just 20 minutes of her exercises, I'm inspired to keep going and aniticipate some exciting results!

Gas issues

Result of nectarine experiment: I lost 1.6 lbs this week.
This week we shall try peaches. It is 1:30 pm and I am already well into the numbers.
The known results of any of these experiments is the yearly gas situation.
Lets just say that it is a good thing it is summer and we can keep the doors and windows open during the day.

Mental Illness at Midnight

Ok, so I am writing here at 12:30am because I have nothing else to do while waiting for the canner to finish boiling up the tomatoes. We did 24 jars in four hours. This is while the four youngest Lund children are staying here (due to a reunion trip their parents are taking) through Sunday, Daniel 9, Alison 7, Spencer 5 and Joshua 3. The TV is off due to the grounding now in effect. So Isaac is the amazing boy with endless energy playing, and entertaining this energetic bunch. Which renders him useless on the canning team (except that without him we could never accomplish all this). Tammy and Bethany were completely fantastic tonight blanching, peeling, trimming, cramming, wiping, capping and installing jars into the canner for three consecutive batches. They did an entire batch without me, saying that they wanted to be like Hannah...even though many after her followed in the tradition of doing batches without Mom to help! Now the 45 minutes of the final batch continues to move toward completion. Tomorrow we are gearing up for 36 more jars and then getting a start on the peaches (without Tammy, Dad and Isaac to help at all, which leaves the Lunds, Bethany and me). We have 12 gallon freezer bags full of nectarines (from about one and a half lugs), and a gallon bag full of dehydrated peaches (constituting an entire lug). I am rambling now. All I wanted to say is that it is late and I am the only one up to empty the canner. Life doesn't get better than this.

And I think I am getting sick of eating nectarines.
And I think I gained weight this week.
How much do 15 nectarines weigh anyway?
The canner is done, so am I.
I weigh in tomorrow.
Sweet.

Homage to the Fruit Day

Sit back, relax, gather some tissue and sun yourself in some nice memories, memories we are still creating here at home. Fruit day was yesterday. This does not mean much to most people, but to us it is everything. I am looking at the kitchen. The freezers are full of beautiful nectarines ready for smoothies (a recent discovery of mine just this year), the dehydrator is blowing full tilt so that we must speak up to be heard during scripture study, the money box is still waiting for the last boxes to be paid for and picked up, our faces are all sunburned, fruit flies are appearing again, every counter and cupboard is sticky, canning of the tomatoes begins tomorrow night, the Victorio (our applesauce "machine") awaits the call, the mop bucket is always full and in use, the gas...well we all know this consequence of the yearly assault on the digestive system, everyone who comes to visit says the same thing "oh yummy, it smells like fresh fruit", every knife in the house has nectarine on them, there are little gatherings of spoiling fruit on the counter waiting for Mom and Dad to cut around the offending spots and relish the ripe goodness, breakfast there is fruit, for lunch there is fruit, and because there is no room to cook dinner--we eat more fruit. There are new faces but the lovely smells, sounds and messes abound to carry my heart into tender thoughts of our fruit days of past years. The small hands learning the skills, voices of singing, joking, laughing, exhaustion against Mom's announcement of "we've got to finish these boxes tonight", sounds of dishes being washed and canners clanking around. May I never outgrow fruit day. Gotta go and eat my midnight snack, another nectarine!

Can someone lose weight eating 15 nectarines a day?

On weeping and cooky baking

So what is this now, the Mother's Blog? The mother who refuses to have one? The mother who surfaces to ralley the children then goes back into cold storage to shoulder the northcoast? The mother whose girls get together and become silly, lovely, reminiscent, creative companions for a half a week, only to weep as they part? The mother who walks the beach with a precious (and precocious) granddaughter and weeps as we part? The mother cannot believe one person can be so richly blessed? The mother who relives each mission, each spank, each cooky baking time, each hike, each hot-sauce-on-the-tongue application, each pregnancy, each good-bye, each grounding, each amazing video creation, each performance, each tantrum (my own), and the nine sets of amazing eyes? Yes that Mom...

The price of control

Yesterday I did it. I was in control (so it appeared).

This was my eating:
B-one turkey sausage patty, one egg, fried in pan spray.
S-banana.
L-Leftover lentel soup.
S-Smoothie with canned peaches.
S-one slice of Ezekial bread toasted with two teaspoons of canola spread.
D-Spagghetti with whole wheat pasta, very old fat free cheddar cheese, broccoli, salad with balsamic vinigarette dressing low cal.
S-pudding, banana and Free Cool Whip.
FHE treat- only one skinny cow mint ice cream sandwich.

This was my thinking:
"time for chocolate" "you can't eat chocolate in front of your student"
"time for some sugar" "man cannot live by sugar alone"
"where are those leftover chips?" "come on, dinner is only ten minutes away"
"I am starving!" "you are stuffed and have a stomach ache from all that broccoli"
"Dad didn't eat that brownie at lunch, how cruel" "you didn't just see that brownie"
"my stomach is growling again" "it's dad snoring, now be quite and go to sleep".

What a life.

I got hungry yesterday! For the first time in a long time I waited to eat until I was actually hungry. It is a trend now because I did it again today. I love the feeling of being hungry and not passing out (like I imagine myself I might). I think I will try it again tomorrow. Not too hungry, just a little. What a life. When the biggest problem I have is TRYING to get hungry.

The art of weaving

My stepfather, Vern, passed away one week ago today. It is amazing how many different things weave their way around my life as I knit together my love for the dead and devotion to the living. One thing is constant and that is food. Grief does not seem to call for food. It should be the last thing on our minds and yet there it is in abudance, from everywhere. Traditional dishes, comfort foods, fast and easy, desserts, barbeque, restaurant fare, take out... Never ending streams of food. In all the confusion I eat though I am never hungry, having not allowed myself to become so. Perhaps the joy of knowing where Vern is now, out of pain and discomfort, makes the grief a light burden. And so now eating makes more sense. I have abandoned my loyalty to my health getting through this period. The funeral is tomorrow. I will play the organ. I will share a few memories. Then I will eat. I would feel better if I were on program during this time. I would have less distain for my indulgence and more time for those I love. And I would sleep better on an empty stomach. I would have a lot more energy. Why have I given up when I still have time left to pull my efforts together? As I type, I am thinking but not acting. So, this time instead of going and getting a cookie, I will go play the piano, then I will take a nap, then I will go get the kids from the swimming pool, then I will come back home, whip up dinner and be hungry enough to eat it! As stuffy as this sounds (and certainly not very humorous), I believe it is what I will do. Give up the pouting and excuses. Smile and enjoy life. I am full from lunch. I want to be hungry for dinner. This is my day. Tomorrow I will wake up and decide how to I will cope, but today is mine. And I will forgive myself for this morning!!!

Better Late than Never...

So, sorry it's been so long since I've posted....my late nomadic tendencies have not been conducive to 1) posting on this great blog, and 2) yes, sadly enough, eating properly. Vacationing is the worst. Other than all the eating out and especially late night binging (while playing speed scrabble with Sarah) I haven't been documenting anything...and so I'm afraid that all my hard work for the past 3 months might have gone to kaput in the past week....

I have some super sad tales of mindlessly (but not without guilt and a sour stomach) snacking on bread, candy, and other no-gooders until I'm so full that it hurts. At first I just thought it might be hopeless to try and eat well while on vacation, especially when you want to chill with the sisters and have a good time and all. But as my digestive system has been sending out flares of S.O.S. (sorry, maybe too much info...) I've decided that I can do little things to help myself through all this.

I've gone running/walking every day since arriving in FL (a whopping total of 2 days) and cut out something new in my eating habits each day that will help me eat healthier. Just little ideas help, like making a goal to eat no bread today, or not eating any non-core foods unless dining out, or only eating in the kitchen. Like I always say, it's the small things...and are mostly mental. We can trick ourselves into adopting healthy habits. The IBS helps as motivation, I'll admit that.

Soaking

As I sit here typing this post, I am watching "Transformers" and soaking my foot in Listerine and Distilled White Vinegar mixture. You see, I have the unmentionable (noenail fungus). I sneaked up to Grampa Dee and said, "Hey," pointing to my offensive toe, "We have matching toes!" He was mildly amused. I have had this affliction for perhaps six years, maybe twelve. I heard once that Vicks VaporRub works and indeed it has for me, many times. When the nail got so thick that wearing shoes hurt, I would break out the Vicks and for a month--application daily and file down weekly. It never finished the job, though, just got the nail down to almost gone. So I read on the internet that lots of people have tried soaking their foot in Listerine and Vinegar for a half hour. So I am in heaven because the tingle in the mouth that Listerine gives is tingling my foot! I heard that if you use the blue Listerine flavor it turns your foot hopelessly blue and is not good for sandal wearing. Stay tuned for updates on the lastest results of the new procedure! Meanwhile, the water is getting very cold....