Day 53: Macaroni Casserole

If I wasn't the one who 'developed' the recipe I would have said that there was something missing from it. I was right there interfering overseeing advising my SS on how to make the macaroni casserole but somehow it turned out different! It was good though. He would prefer to have a written recipe to follow rather than a verbal recipe. (Also he didn't seem to like it when I would stir, or mix, or something)

We have talked about trying to eat healthier. He doesn't need to be any skinnier, but though we don't eat too much junk processed food compared to most people we know, there are additives and preservatives in some of our food. This will be a struggle because finding suitable food in this city that we can afford will be a challenge.

To start off with something easy I suggested crackers because we don't really eat them that often, and usually the ones that we buy are just for snacking. We will finish the ones we have. If we 'need' crackers I would like to try to make some.

I jokingly started listing all of the foods that we would need to give up and that we could try deleting something once a month. He thought that that was a bit slow so we will also finish off the sugar free drink concentrate and not buy more. I think that this will be harder for him as he drinks it daily. He didn't like the idea of giving up white flour so I guess that that will be further down the line, if at all.

Day 51: Eating A Date

Nothing interesting food wise because my SS has had friends here, so I have had to serve meals that we think that they will eat. Also SS's grandmother sent some food home with him so we have been eating that up too. Hopefully SS will make today's supper, as I have bought the ingredients and I would like that he would make meals more often (rather than 1-2 times a year). This dish is something he recently asked for more often, so I thought that he could make it himself.

I missed yesterday's new step because the computer was, for some reason, occupied. (Something to do with the owner (SS) and his friend using it. I don't know much about computers, so I 'll just have to take his word for it.) I know that one of my most difficult foods to consume less of is chocolate. I can't image never eating it again, but I should reduce the amount I eat. Or at least I tell myself that I should. So for this week's step, I'm going to add eating a date before any chocolate. It's quite sweet, so maybe it will help.

Day 45: English Muffins

I haven't been able to be on the computer very much, so this week's step is late. What can I take away? There are so many things but I think I need to work more on the steps that I have already taken. So I think that I will avoid sugared soft drinks (which I already do, but I'll try harder).

I made English Muffins. I don't know if it was the recipe, or that I wasn't able to make them when the rising time was over, but they were quite dense. But as you can see, we ate them anyway. Or at least I ate them anyway because my SS doesn't know what they are suppose to be like!

Day 40: Rhubarb, Part Two

This time I stayed in the kitchen when I made the rhubarb ”stew”. It was tart, tasteless and watery. I was quite disappointed.

The rhubarb upside-down cake was much better. I'll have to try to find another rhubarb cake recipe because it seemed such a waste when the melted margarine and brown sugar stayed on the dish. It wasn't easy to scrape it off.


I was so pleased with myself when I got home from the store and realized that I had walked down the chip aisle and hadn't even looked at them. The only problem is that now I can't think of eating anything else! I wonder how the different grocery store chains decide on how to organize their stores. There are four grocery stores near by. One store has their chips across from tinned and jarred goods, another frozen pizzas and breads, another juices and the last frozen vegetables.

Day 37: Rhubarb

Nobody else in our apartment building seems to use the rhubarb that is growing in the backyard, so I've decided to use it all up (not that there is too much of it). I made rhubarb mead for the first time. Usually we make our mead with lemons and oranges but a friend, who has a citrus allergy in the family, mentioned that she makes hers with rhubarb, so I thought I'd try it. Unfortunately when I added the brown sugar the lovely pink color disappeared. If it is any good I'll try using less (or no) brown sugar. We still have to wait some days before we can try it.

Then I decided to stew some rhubarb but, as in my usual fashion, I was careless. I left it on high and this was the result. (This is just water in the pot, so the burnt bottom can soak.)

Day 36: More Sleep

I can't believe that I've been 5 weeks without chips. I am proud of myself. I didn't think I could do it.

I need to add something today for my healthy journey. More sleep. In bed by midnight. If I can't fall asleep then up for 15 minutes and then try again.

Day 35: Hummus

I made some hummus over the weekend (on the right). I've wanted to try it for years. First I had to make my own tahini (roasting the sesame seeds in the oven and then blending them with oil in the food processor). I didn't get the pourable consistency I was suppose to get and I didn't want to add more oil as I already had had to add more than the recipe called for. So I just used the paste I got (on the left). I don't know what I'll use the rest of it for.

Of course after I made the ”tahini” I found a recipe for hummus that calls for toasting the exact amount of sesame seeds needed in the frying pan and adding them to the rest of the ingredients. I might prefer it this way because I like sesame seeds as they are. This teaches me the lesson of checking out my own cookbooks before searching the internet.

I've never used garlic in the raw before and it sure was strong. Next time I make hummus I 'll try it without using any garlic. And then I'll try toasting the garlic with the seeds in the frying pan. And then I don't know if I'll make hummus again, as I like chick peas as they are.

Day 32: Munchies

So what's the problem? All I want to do is munch on stuff. I've been eating crackers, popcorn, etc. and I still want more. Is it my mind's protest against the reduction on snacking?

This week's legume dish was minestrone (thanks for the correct spelling) soup (I haven't yet looked up how to pronounce that.) It wasn't anything exciting, and I don't know why. I didn't add any zucchini because I didn't remember that it needed it and we also seldom eat it, maybe once a year.

Day 29: Scraping

Sometimes simple things give me pleasure. Like today's date. 06.06.06.

Anyway my newest step is to use less margarine on my bread. I don't use much anyway (the left side ) but I will try to cut down (to the right side). I actually don't eat much bread, but I am still having problems with not eating extra snacks so I am trying something easy for this step.

Day 27: I Didn't Eat Any Chips!

I'm just struggling along. I thought that I was doing so well not eating chips until we were in the car. My SS and his grandfather were sitting in the front seat eating a big bag of chips. It was difficult not to automatically take some when they were offered to me, but I didn't. I'm proud of myself for that but I don't know how well I would have done if they hadn't been the flavor I don't care for!

I made this yoghurt cake though I did substitute buttermilk for the yoghurt because that's what I had. Also my fruit cake whiskey for the rum because I don't have anything else.

Day 24: Water Overload

I didn't think that it would happen so soon. I'm starting to hate the thought of drinking water. Maybe if it were warmer then it would be easier to drink it. The no extra snacking is going a bit better but only because I haven't really felt like eating. And that is unusual!