Yes, we have no banana slicer.

A friend posted a link on Facebook. Nothing unusual about that, except that I actually clicked on it. I rarely click on the links friends post (who has time to read a thousand links a day? okay...maybe a hundred), but this one caught my eye because she promised it was hilarious.

It was for a banana slicer. I know, that's not funny, but the customer reviews are a hoot!

Later, when visiting friends, I told them about the witty reviews. Brian quickly searched the slicer and read aloud several of the tongue-in-cheek comments while we howled with laughter.

Now it's become a running joke. Cindy came to stay with us a few days, and Brian sent a text requesting her return because he didn't know how to slice the bananas. I responded, "Cindy knows how to slice bananas??? I might put her to work tomorrow morning when I have my cereal!"

Later, as my husband cut some over-ripe bananas into chunks (to freeze for smoothies), I took a quick video of the procedure and sent it to Brian to brag about Kurt's talent, but admitted that he has yet to master the skill of thinner slices.

I recently read that laughter (30 minutes a day) aids in weight loss. If that is true, then why does Santa's belly shake like a bowl full of jelly? (Hohoho.) Still, it does help with healthy living since it lifts the mood, brightens the outlook, and is, after all, the best medicine.

If you need some laughter, click here, and scroll down to the customer reviews.

While he was "sleeping..."

While my husband was under anesthesia, having his colonoscopy on Tuesday (see: Health Screenings), I used the waiting time to go for a long walk.  I'm training for the Kiss Me Dirty 5K (see: I must be crazy!) by following a Beginner Training Plan I found on the Internet.  Tuesday I needed to walk 3-5 miles, and since his appointment was during the cooler morning hours, it was an ideal time.

The clinic was located on the east side of the Salt Lake Valley, on the "bench" of the mountains.  I knew there were several businesses around there, and planned to just walk around the parking lots.  However, as I started out, I saw some joggers go past in a partially secluded area.  I decided to follow them.

Lo and behold, they were on a scenic paved path -- The Big Cottonwood Canyon Trail -- made especially for non-motorized traffic (walkers, runners, bicyclists).  What an enchanting discovery, much better than walking around the boring parking lots!

Some of you might remember that I typically don't like walking for exercise.  I like to have someplace to walk to.  (See: What is it with me and walking?)  But I want to do the muddy 5K with my daughter (and a crazy friend from my high school days!), so I'm surrendering to the walking/running regimen.  Discovering this trail made walking a delight, as it led away from the business complex and towards the Big Cotton Wood Canyon.

Here are some pictures I snapped with my iPhone.

Heading East on the paved trail.

Um.  No worries...not tempted.

Nearing the end of my walk.

Suspended bridge leading to the business complex.

I must say, I had a much better time that morning than my husband.  But we plan to return and walk the trail together.

Health Screenings

Today my husband had a routine health screening: the dreaded colonoscopy.  (You're going to stick what up where??)

Although we exercise and eat healthy, it's important to have health screenings, and I'm glad my husband did not put up a fuss about going in.  He has a history of colon cancer in his family, so he might have inherited the tendency towards that disease; and because of that history, he needs a colonoscopy every three years.  He says, "My parents aren't alive, so I can't slap them."

After the procedure, the doctor came into the recovery room and told Kurt, "You are one of the healthiest eaters I know.  If anyone ever tries to tell you different, you have them see me because I have proof." (Ahem, and I like to take credit for preparing healthy foods.)

Kurt was also praised on his weight loss.  Most important, he has no sign of any cancer and a clean bill of health.

I couldn't find an image for colonoscopy.
Aren't you glad?  We don't need to see
that, right?

Hopefully our healthy lifestyle will keep us around for many, many years, but health screenings give us peace of mind and a chance for early detection if something is amiss.

For more information on what health screenings are recommended according to age and gender, here's a link for the Mayo Clinic:
Health Screening Guidelines

Plastics and BPA

Awhile back, we switched to glass containers to hold leftovers for my husband's lunch. He didn't mind the extra weight of the containers... until he started riding a bicycle to work with a pack on his back.  Now he prefers the light-weight plastic containers again (who wouldn't?).

I worried a bit about BPA, but then I came across this quote about recycling codes:

"Four, five, one and two...
All the rest are bad for you."

I went through our plastic food storage containers and breathed a sigh of relief.  They have a code of five.

Glass is preferable, but I don't worry (quite as much) about the plastic containers killing him off any time soon; now, if I could just rest easy while he pedals to work!  (I ask him to text me every day to let me know he arrived safely: not "smished.")

(For more information on the codes and recycling, click here.)

Mother's Day Breakfast

When our kids were small they used to serve me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day. Now, even with the children gone, my husband continues to spoil me in such a manner.  This morning he prepared a crab omelet with cheese and tomato.  On the side, he served a variety of fresh fruit (banana, pineapple, cantaloupe, and grapes) which he arranged in an attractive display.  *sigh*

When I serve food, it is plopped on a plate, like, "Here ya go.  Eat up."  But whenever he serves food, it's arranged in such a fashion I have to feast my eyes (and pause to snap a picture) before feasting my belly.

Here's the delightful meal he brought to me:

Thank you honey!

Stocking up on muffins and bread.

Finally!  We are stocked up on muffins and bread.  Clear back in July, I posted about being low on muffins (click here).  Can you believe it's taken me this long to finally restock?  Sheesh!  

My husband and I decided to use Sunday afternoons (for the past few weeks) to bake.  Yesterday we declared ourselves done... for now.  Baking goes so much faster with my Number One Flunky!  (See previous post.)

I added more recipes to my "Recipe" page.  I wish I knew of a way to categorize the recipes on there, or a way to "link" this blog post to specific recipes, but as far as I know, the only way to access them is to scroll down through the page.   I think there are 4 muffin recipes and a couple bread recipes posted on there now, as well as other yummy dishes.  (Click Here.)

Do we have large waists and small minds?

My husband needed slacks so we went to a department store.  As we shopped, we bumped into a couple we know.  They were amazed at Kurt's thinness.

The guy asked Kurt, "What size waist do you wear now?"
Kurt: "38."
Guy: "Be sure to call me when you start wearing a 36."
Kurt: "Why?"
Guy: "So I can shoot myself."
ME: "Why on earth would you shoot yourself if Kurt starts wearing a 36?"
Guy: "Because then he would be smaller than I am... I wear a 38."

I had to bite my tongue at that point because I wanted so badly to point out that if his pants were a size 38, then that was his hip size, not his waist, since his pants were worn way down low, with his bulging belly hanging over the "waist" of his slacks.  

The encounter made me think about a previous post (see: The Fat Standard).  Why do we do that?  Why do we fall into comparing ourselves to others, and perhaps thinking as long as we are smaller than so-and-so, then we are okay?  I admit... I've caught myself in that mindset on occasion.

Let's celebrate the success of others, and only compare ourselves to ourselves.  How am I doing now compared to a month ago...a year ago...yesterday? 

DAY 362 -- It's closet day!

Today was the day... we cleaned out our closet and got rid of the clothes we won't wear. My husband's selection of donation items was the most dramatic since he's slimmed down so much!  There were piles of nice sweaters that hang on him now, and stacks of shrunk-out-of slacks.  He kept two of his favorite sweaters, which our daughter will tailor for him.  (She's one handy gal when it comes to sewing!)

My pile of donations was not as big as I thought it would be.  Last year at this time, if I had donated stuff that didn't fit (too tight) I would have been left with very little.  But now I can fit into all my clothes again!  Hooray!  (I did weed out a few things that I no longer wanted though.)  And I cleaned out some costume jewelry that I found in a forgotten box. (Wow... I used to wear the gaudiest earrings!)

I feel grateful and amazed.  As my husband's stack of too-large clothes kept growing taller, I thought, "All this from a man who skeptically announced he would try my plan of healthy eating for one month and if he didn't see any results he would stop."

Go figure... a healthy eating plan that didn't require counting calories, portions, carbs, fat grams... yet led to weight loss and a leaner closet.  This really works.

DAY 351 -- Spaghetti!

I felt swamped with tasks, so I asked my husband if he had any ideas for supper.  He answered, "Spaghetti!"  And he quickly began fixing the meal.  


Spaghetti has been a favorite of his to prepare, but it's been awhile.  He went to the pantry and returned with a quizzical look on his face.  "Don't we have any cans of spaghetti sauce?"  I reminded him that we got rid of all that earlier in the year, now when we want sauce (rather than olive oil drizzled over the noodles) I make it from scratch.  He assured me he could figure it out.


I stepped into the kitchen later to see him hard at work, with a cookbook open... not to the recipe I use.  Oh well.  I watched him glance at the recipe, grab a bottle of garlic salt and dump a very generous amount into the sauce.  No measuring.  Back to the cookbook, he gets the black pepper and dumps, and dumps, and dumps.  He used enough pepper to choke a horse!  I bit my tongue and retreated out of the kitchen.  I decided it was best not to see my food prepared.  

Later, when dinner was announced, I took a small taste of the sauce before putting it on my pasta.  It was... delicious!  Now, I wonder if he can repeat his magic potion, because I want more!

DAY 349 -- Sushi

You've heard the saying, "The problem with eating Chinese food... after an hour you're hungry again" ... well, the problem with eating sushi is that after a minute you're hungry again.  My husband loves sushi.  My opinion: "meh." Not yucky, but not something that enticed me.  I could not understand the attraction to sushi, and I certainly couldn't understand anyone being able to make a meal out of it!  To me, sushi is an appetizer.


Recently, a friend recommended a great place for sushi, so I told my husband I would give it another try.  This time I actually enjoyed the items I ate, which moved it from the "meh" stage to "pretty tasty." Now I can understand better why people like it.  But I still don't see how you make a meal out of it.  By the time we left the restaurant and walked to the car, I was hungry again.  So I came home and ate some fruit.

DAY 342 -- Shopping is no treat.

I dislike shopping.  Every now and then I get in the mood to shop for clothing or shoes, but that is rare.  And as for grocery shopping, I consider it a chore on my to-do list. Lately I've noticed that if I need to get groceries I find myself dreading the task so much that it sours my mood for the entire day.

Yesterday was no exception.  Our fridge and cupboards looked like they belonged to Old Mother Hubbard.  It was my husband's day off and he had some errands to run.  I was very tempted to have him get the groceries while he was out and about (and he would have done it) but I decided not to dump that on him.  Using a trendy phrase which basically means quit whining, I gave a giant sigh and grumbled, "Okay.  I'll put on my big girl panties and get the chore done."

Throughout the morning as I contemplated my distaste for grocery shopping, I wondered why it seems worse over the past years. I couldn't recall having such strong dread of it years ago. Finally I realized... it's because I used to reward myself with a treat at every store!  If I went to three different stores, I got three different goodies (candy bar, donut, giant cookie). If I stopped for gas, I bought a treat there too.

I wondered if I needed to find some type of healthy treat to "reward" myself for my grocery shopping now.  Perhaps some raw nuts, dried fruit, or a Larabar?  But I decided it was best not to use food for rewards.  Just knuckle down and tackle the task.

After getting the groceries, my husband asked, "Well, did you put on your big panties?"

I laughed,  "That's big girl panties.  Not big panties.  There's a difference!"

And thankfully, because I stopped treating myself to sweet rewards years ago, those big girl panties are not as big as they used to be.

DAY 334 - Flaxseed

I take two tablespoons of ground flaxseed a day, one in the morning and one at night, with a glass of water. I've done this for years because I read an article about how it is healthy for a woman to do that; however, it's been so long I can no longer remember the reasoning behind it.  But I do it anyway.  

Typically, I get ground organic flaxseed from a health food store, but I've had a vacuum sealed bag of whole flaxseed on my shelf for a few years.  I never bothered with it until recently because I didn't have a grinder.  I kept thinking I would get the grain grinder that attaches to my Kitchenaid mixer, but it never seemed a priority purchase.  In the meantime, we bought a small hand grinder to use in an emergency.

Well, sometime last month as I was leaving for work, I mentioned to my husband that if he wanted some entertainment he could grind some of the whole flaxseed with that little grinder... just enough to fill the small container I use for ground seed.  Being the kind and caring man that he is, I came home to freshly ground flaxseed.

Last night I used the last of it and needed to grind more, so this morning I pulled out the grinder and started to grind.  And grind.  And grind.  I was rapidly getting a sore arm and only had a teeny tiny pile of the ground seed to show for it!!  At this point my husband told me it had taken him forty minutes to grind the previous batch.  Forty minutes!  Oh my goodness that's true love!  

"Are you kidding me?"  I asked.

"Nope."

"There's gotta be a better way!"

With that, I pulled out our blender, dumped in some seed and hit the button labeled Grind. Woolah.  I had a batch of flaxseed ground to perfection in a few blinks of the eye.  You should have seen the look of disbelief and disgust on his face! 

I grinned.  "Honest... honey, I never even thought of using the blender until now!"

They say that necessity is the mother of all invention... well... I think laziness plays a large part too.

DAY 332 -- The taste of homemade.

For lunch on Saturday I grabbed a can of organic soup off our pantry shelf.  Thinking we needed "quick" options for some meals, we stocked up on a few canned organic soups, being careful to select the ones without added sweeteners.  They are "okay" in a pinch, but I realized as I slurped a spoonful on Saturday, they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to flavor. After a few bites, I pushed the bowl away.

My husband questioned, "Saving that for your mulligan?"

"No way.  It's not worthy."

Taking the bowl, he sampled the soup, then with a shudder, he pushed the bowl back towards me.

The taste of homemade called to us after that experience, so for our evening supper I prepared a pot of Lentil-Vegetable Soup.  (See Recipe Page.)

Then for breakfast Sunday morning, Kurt mentioned he was hungry for waffles.  Thinking I didn't have enough time to prepare waffles from scratch (we were getting ready for church), I grabbed the whole wheat Insta-Bake.  (It's supposedly healthy as far as baking mixes go, but looking at the label I am doubting that.)  The waffles seemed heavy with an unsatisfying flavor.  We longed for the taste of homemade...again.

So... this morning I whipped up some waffles using a favorite recipe and we feasted on the yummy light flavor of "Annette's Oatmeal Waffles."  (See Recipe Page.)

(For toppings on our waffles we use a small amount of pure maple syrup, or all fruit jam, or fresh fruit.  Pure, 100% maple syrup doesn't trigger cravings for me, but I use it very sparingly, and very infrequently.)

I know some people who rarely cook from scratch (some rarely eat at home, period) but ever since I started eating healthy foods, I realize my mouth rejoices in the taste of homemade.

DAY 322 -- Trying a new recipe.

As I planned my meals for the week, I came across a recipe for Crab Meat Clam Chowder.  It was a basic New England style clam chowder that included crab meat, and sure sounded delicious to me!  So I got the necessary ingredients and made the chowder today for lunch.

First of all, it was so easy to make I wondered why I rarely make chowder!

While it simmered, I sent an email to my husband, telling him how he can look forward to a tasty chowder when he gets home.  (I won't be home this evening, thus I prepared it for my lunch, but he will have it for supper.)  However, after I ate a bowlful (alright, alright... I had two bowls full... but they were shallow bowls) I sent him another message telling him the chowder was down right nasty and not to worry about it, I will take care of it so that he won't have to suffer through eating it.

Somehow, he didn't believe me!  *innocent grin*

If you don't believe me either, you might want to try it out.  I posted the recipe on my Recipe Page.  Click Here.

(Note:  I selected a can of minced clams that contained only chopped sea clams, clam juice, salt and wild clams.  I got it from the health/natural food store.  The canned clams at most grocery stores had way too many additives for my preference.  I purchased crab meat from the deli at Sunflower Market.)

DAY 310 -- Still not ready to be a locavore.

My husband asked if I thought I could become a locavore (someone who eats only foods grown locally).  I posted about that earlier in the year (click here).

Although I can definitely see the benefits of supporting local farms, I cannot (yet) see myself at that point exclusively.  I mentioned in my other post that I would feel limited in the vegetables I could eat in the winter, but there are many fruits I enjoy that are not grown in Utah during any growing season, like oranges, bananas, kiwi, pineapple.  I love variety.

So, I try to support the local farmers as much as possible, but I'm still not ready to become a true locavore.

DAY 296 -- Popeye would be proud.

Image from Wikipedia

Kurt and I got our share of spinach today...and then some.  We had bunch of organic spinach that needed used soon, and even though we were putting it on salads, it was not getting used fast enough.  So for lunch today, I sauteed a big panful of spinach with fresh garlic and mixed it with cooked pasta.  Then I sprinkled it all with olive oil and put seasonings on it.  Delicious!

(It amazes me how a panful of spinach cooks down to what seems like a puny amount!)

As we ate the pasta/spinach dish with our meal, I mentioned that it made me hungry for a spinach-tomato omelet.  That sounded wonderful to Kurt too.

So tonight I sauteed the rest of the spinach along with onion, garlic, and tomato.  Kurt made the omelets filled with the sauteed vegetables, and added some pepper-jack cheese and a bit of cheddar.  (Both cheeses are made from cows NOT treated with hormones.)

They don't make omelets that delicious in any restaurant.  It was heavenly.  And... being repentant from my selfishness... I offered Kurt a big bite of mine, which he happily ate.

DAY 293 -- Selfish with food.

I've done well on my goal to not overeat for three weeks now.  I can leave food on my plate, and save food for later, but I'm still selfish with my food.  Today I needed to use up a potato and an onion, so I made hashbrowns with both.  I only ate half of mine and saved the other half on my plate while I visited with my husband.  He reached over and snitched a cube of my potato.  One cube.  And I snarled at him, "HEY!  That's mine!"

Heaven forbid if I have one cube, one morsel, less at my next meal!  Sheesh.

Will food always have such a hold on me?

DAY 290 -- My wardrobe.

Last week I only partially heard a comment from my husband, "...need new jeans."  I replied, "Yeah, you do."  And he corrected me, "No.  YOU need new jeans."

He's right.  I do.  I hoped my jeans looked okay since I was wearing a shirt to hide my hiked up pants cinched around my waist.  Apparently they still look too baggy.  (I love that I have such a problem!)  But I don't want to get new clothes until the end of the year.  


In the meantime, I remembered I had a pair of khaki-colored denim pants that I had not worn since the Spring semester of 2008 because they were too tight on me.  I pulled them out of my closet and tried them on.  Woolah! They fit! That sent me on a try-things-on spree and I found a skirt, a dress, and a suit that all fit again.  It's as though I added to my wardrobe!


Still... I look forward to getting rid of baggy clothes in December.  Any guesses what will be on my Christmas wish list?   

DAY 289 -- Weight report.

For several months I didn't weigh myself.  I was overeating, and really should have weighed, but I neglected it.  So, when I decided to set a contract type goal with stickK.com, I figured it was time to step on the scale.  Even though I had gained some weight, I was actually surprised and pleased to see the gain was minimal.  I had not weighed since July 4, yet when I weighed on Sep. 30, I had only gained 2.5 pounds.  


Now for the good news... it's been two weeks since I started my contract not to overeat, and I've already lost 4.5 pounds.  That's fantastic!  There is no doubt that eating natural foods is the way to go.  With three months of overeating I only gained 2.5 pounds, and in two weeks of paying attention to actual hunger and fulness, I lost all of that, plus an additional 2 pounds.  Amazing.  


(For those who might be new to this blog... I do not count calories, fat grams, carbs, or portions.  I am trying to let my body tell me when it's time to eat and when it's time to stop, and eat mostly natural, very little processed.)


In years past, I've tried "diets" where I restricted calories or what have you, and would lose about 20 pounds, then gain 30... in a very short amount of time.   So far with My Healthy Eating Challenge, I have struggled often with overeating, yet I've lost 27.5 pounds since January 1.


My husband has lost 53 pounds.  PLUS, he no longer needs medication for blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, or diabetes. 


Healthy eating, and exercise, really does promote good health.  Go figure!  ☺

DAY 268 -- Food Matters Documentary

"Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food." - Hippocrates

That is the theme of the documentary "Food Matters."  My husband and I finally watched the video on Netflix.  I found the documentary informative and interesting, and I highly recommend it.   (Here's a link to their website, where you can watch the trailer.)  Those interviewed in the film recommend vitamins, and eating a diet of mostly raw foods.  They claim that most diseases can be cured by good nutrition (which I agree with).  They cite research to back up their claims.

As a student of filmmaking, I want to clarify that information can still be presented in a biased way in a documentary -- especially when they don't give interview time to anyone with an opposing view (which this film is guilty of).  However, with that said, I appreciated when the documentary stressed that people need to be proactive about their own health, and that people are smart enough to figure out what they need, and what will work for them.

In the film, it seemed like most of those interviewed were of the opinion that medical providers do not discuss nutrition with their patients, and that if patients knew about nutrition and health, they would choose that alternative rather than go with a prescription.  That does not seem to be the case, at least not compared to what my husband experiences.  He is a health care provider, and strongly suggests nutritional and natural alternatives to his patients, but they refuse.  They tell him, "Just give me a pill."  They admit they don't want to exercise, and they don't want to bother with meal preparation (making healthy meals).

So, people might be smart enough to figure out what they need, but will many have the motivation or desire to even find out?