Can't believe it's not real ice cream!

Here's another wonderful banana treat, so simple... and with healthy ingredients too:

Banana Walnut Ice Cream

2 frozen ripe bananas
1/3 cup vanilla soy, hemp, or almond milk (I use unsweetened almond milk, and usually have to add a bit more to help it mix properly).
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

Blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy.
(Note: freeze ripe bananas at least 24 hours in advance.  To freeze, peel, cut into thirds, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.)

(From Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., p. 283)

The first time I tried this recipe I was absolutely stunned, and thrilled!  It had the same consistency and flavor of real ice cream.  (But keep in mind that I haven't had ice cream for over 10 1/2 years!)

Banana treat.

Here's a simple banana treat:

1. take a banana (peeled, of course)
2. roll it in toasted wheat germ
3. chill
4. eat

(Also delicious frozen.  Or you can eat it right away without chilling...which I tend to do.)

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.)

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 250 -- Fresh peaches.

We went to my sister-in-law's to borrow a vehicle, and while we were there, we snitched a few peaches off her tree!  (I fessed up later, though!)  Kurt and I shared a peach tonight for a snack and I recalled a roommate who had never eaten a fresh peach in her life (to that point).  My other roommate and I decided to give Jeannie her first taste of fresh peaches.  She didn't like them.  She was so used to canned peaches that the fresh ones tasted strange to her.


I wonder if she ever learned to enjoy the fresh version.  I still think she's missing out!

DAY 209 -- Larabar

I try to avoid packaged or processed foods, but if I'm in a pinch for a snack (especially one that travels well in my purse), I turn to the Larabar, which contains fruit and nuts and that's about it.  They are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non-GMO, vegan, and kosher.

My favorite is called Cherry Pie.  The ingredients: date, almonds, unsweetened cherries.  Yep. That's it!

Peanut Butter Cookie contains dates, peanuts, and salt.

Cashew Cookie  has cashews and dates.  Nothing else.

Coconut Cream Pie is another favorite of mine and it has a few more ingredients:  dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, and extra virgin coconut oil.

They have a large variety of flavors such as banana bread, carrot cake, ginger snap, key lime pie, lemon zest, apple pie, basically made with just fruit and nuts.  Some additional bars come with chocolate chips in them, but I avoid those since the chocolate chips have sugar.  One bar, the Chocolate Coconut Chew has unsweetened cocoa powder and no sugar, so I might give that a try sometime, but I am always leery -- too afraid because of my addictive tendency.  (If it the chocolate tastes tooooo good, then I might not want to stop eating them.)

I usually purchase Larabars at Whole Foods since they often have a sale 10/$10.  Some grocery stores carry them (Winco, Smith's, Wal-Mart) but with very limited selections.  I am told Costco carries them, but I haven't checked on that.

Here's their website if you want to browse through all the flavors and ingredients!  Click: LARABAR.

DAY 208 -- Muffin low.

Yesterday I pulled everything out of the freezer in order to take care of a problem with our ice maker. As I put items back nice and neat, I realized we only have one muffin left.  I like to keep healthy muffins on hand for quick snacks.   (Muffins sweetened with fruit, or minimal amount of honey, molasses, or pure maple syrup.)


This puts me in a dilemma...I need to make several batches of muffins, but I don't want to heat up the house by using the oven. Maybe we can hang in there for a few more weeks.


Now I can't seem to shake the song: ♩"Do you know the muffin man?"♬

DAY 195 -- Our willpower muscle.

Awhile back I mentioned reading a book titled: We Have Met the Enemy: Self-Control in an Age of Excess.  The author, Daniel Akst, wrote that we need to think of willpower as a muscle that becomes stronger when we exercise it.  Each time we use willpower, it adds strength which we can call upon the next time it's needed. But, just like a muscle, willpower weakens by overworking it.  For instance, if we have temptations all around us and have to continually use our willpower, we will eventually become weak and give in.  (This applies to all aspects in life that require willpower, not just food.)  He suggested using strategies to give willpower a rest.  We should rely as little as possible on willpower in the face of temptation.  (Don't count on controlling hunger -- have a plan, or an escape.)

He mentions a woman who used some unique strategies.  When served dessert, she poured salt over half of it so she wouldn't eat that part.  After giving snacks to her kids, she applied slow-drying nail polish so she wouldn't reach into the bag for more.

I think too often I have relied on sheer willpower and turned my nose up to "strategies."  Whenever I did use tactics to stop eating, I felt like I was being weak.   But, after reading his book, I see the wisdom in having a few tricks up my sleeve.

Here's a list of strategies I've come across.  I've tried some of them, but not all.  It's nice to have a selection to choose from to see what works for me, and to devise a plan.

• Never eat directly from a package; use a bowl or plate.
• Brush teeth right after meals, to help avoid munching as you clean up the dishes.
• Keep a buffer of time and space between you and temptations.  (Such as stashing the chips in a far corner of a far closet, so it takes more effort to retrieve them--giving time and distance to rethink having any.)
• Better yet, don't buy the things you want to avoid.
• I recall reading about a woman who put her "house" on a diet.  She would not bring anything into the house that she shouldn't eat.  If she really, really, really wanted that candy bar, she had to drive to the store and get it.  (Which combines the previous two strategies.)
• Drink water before a meal.
• Only eat at the table.
• Dish up your meal on a small plate so the serving sizes look bigger.  (This strategy works for my husband, but not for me.  If I serve myself food on a small plate, I think to myself, "I only had a small plate of that... I can have more."  It works far better for me to use a full size plate and arrange my food so it looks like a plateful.)
• Put your fork down between bites.
• Sip water between bites.
• Cover up, or discard leftovers immediately.  (I found placing my napkin over my plate when I'm finished really does help me quit picking at what's left on my plate.)
• When going out to eat, decide what (and how much) you will eat before you go.  (To avoid giving in to impulses.)
• At restaurants, ask the server to bring a take-home container along with your meal, then put half of your food in the box right away.  Out of sight.  Out of mind.  
• Enlist the help of friends or family.  ("Don't let me order the full rack of ribs!")
• Always leave something on the plate.
• Before eating, ask yourself aloud, "Do I want to eat, or do I need to eat."

I need to exercise my willpower muscles, but I'm also selecting some strategies for back up. I'm sure you can add to my list of tactics.  What works for you?  

DAY 192 -- Eating away at procrastination.

Ask a dog, "How does it feel to slide across sandpaper?" and he will respond, "Ruff."

That was my day today.  Ruff.  Thankfully not rough in all aspects, but it certainly was when it came to eating.  I found myself procrastinating on something I wanted to do.  Am I alone in this?  Do others procrastinate enjoyable tasks or things they want to do?

Anyway, one tool in my procrastination drawer is snacking.  Hmm... maybe I should have a snack before I begin that project.


Then in the middle of the project I get hungry but don't want to take time to fix a meal, so I start snacking while I work.  This leads to the "piece meal" syndrome I wrote about earlier. (Click here .)


Snack.  Procrastinate. Snack again.  Procrastinate.  Snack some more.  Start the project. Piece meal.  Piece meal.  Snack.  Snack.

Ruff day.

DAY 190 -- Natural Peanut Butter

I enjoy natural peanut butter, especially when I find "chunky" style.  There are numerous brands to choose from...most of them quite expensive.  However my favorite brand is affordable, plus tastes like peanuts.  It's strange how so many natural peanut butters all have the same ingredients: peanuts and salt, yet they taste different.  The brand I like is Laura Scudder's -- Nutty (it also comes in smooth).  (I've also had some store brand natural PB that tasted great... like Laura Lynn brand and Kroger's.)

(Be sure to read the label for "natural" peanut butters because some brands sell what they call "natural" but it actually has added sugars.  I know Skippy brand is guilty of that.)

Some people complain because natural peanut butter needs stirred and refrigerated, which then makes it hard to spread.  Simply put it in the microwave for about 20 seconds and it comes out soft again.

We like to take a new jar of peanut butter and dump it into a larger container which makes it easier to stir.  The container we use is microwave safe, so then all we have to do is take it out of the fridge, take the lid off, and let it soften in the microwave for a bit.

The other night my husband and I had a light snack.  He was surprised to see what I chose...a spoonful of peanut butter and a couple small dill pickles.  I love the taste of dill pickles and peanut butter. He thinks I'm nutty.

What quirky combinations of food do you enjoy?

DAY 145 -- Number One Flunky

We made a batch of healthy muffins tonight, with my husband serving as the "number one flunky."  I tell him whatever I need him to do and he does it.  For instance, "mash the bananas," "break up the walnuts," or "those ingredients can be put away."  We make a great team and it makes baking more enjoyable for me.  I don't mind baking or cooking as long as I don't have to do everything.  I like being the mixer-upper and let someone else do all the chopping and preparation stuff.  And my husband likes how we work together in the kitchen.  He even puts up with me talking to myself out loud.  "One teaspoon of baking powder.  One teaspoon of baking powder.  One teaspoon of baking powder."  I have to repeat stuff to myself because I get easily distracted when cooking.  My daughter learned that first hand when she was helping me in the kitchen when she was a little girl.  We made tuna casserole together, and put it in the oven.  As we cleaned up our mess, I realized I had forgotten to put the tuna in.  We had to pull it out, remove the special cheese and crumb topping I make, stir in the tuna, and patch the topping back together.  :)

But I digress...

I usually like to make several batches of a variety of muffins (which we freeze individually wrapped, ready for snacks) but tonight we only had time to make one batch.  We were completely out of muffins in the freezer so we needed to get some made.  Hopefully I will have time Saturday to make more.

We also made a batch of a rice medley (Organic Harvest Medley from Costco) which we also freeze in individual size servings.  We've done this for years and it really works for us, especially since brown rice and our favorite rice medley takes so long to cook.  We do up a huge batch and then after the rice cools, we scoop small portions in little zipper bags.  This is very handy for lunches or for quick meals.  (Hint:  I usually under cook the rice a bit since it absorbs more water while it cools in the pan.)

We used the last of the previous batch of rice when we had our supper tonight, so that too needed restocked in the freezer.  I still need to make regular brown rice to freeze too.  Again... maybe Saturday... if my number one flunky is available!

(see recipe page for Crunchy Banana Muffins)

DAY 100 -- Return trip.

Remember how I mentioned that I try to pay attention to what my body needs?  Well, I sort of ignored what my body told me when I had breakfast at my brother's house.  I had some toast (with a nice heavy whole grain bread) and knew my body needed some protein and planned to have an egg.  Not sure why I neglected to have the egg...too busy yacking and visiting I guess.

Then during the drive home (about 5 hours) I had some veggie sticks and a muffin.  By this point my body really wanted protein and I ended up with what I call a "carb headache."  I get those now and then when I don't have enough protein, even when I eat complex carbs.  (When I was eating too many simple carbs of white flour and potato chips--before My Healthy Eating Challenge--I got frequent carb headaches.)

Thankfully I took some medication for my headache and it helped.  When I got home, I ate a bowl of cottage cheese and felt much better, physically.

DAY 98 -- Traveling this weekend.

I have another funeral to attend out of state, so I might not get a chance to post again until Sunday evening.  (An elderly aunt, 96, passed away.)  I have the same concerns I had on my previous funeral trip -- will there be healthy foods to select from?

My husband and I will travel with my brother and his wife.  We will stay with another brother.  This means we will be eating at restaurants or fast food places, and eating whatever food my brother planned for our stay (or going out to eat again).  Then there's the family dinner after the funeral, but I feel fairly confident I will have healthy foods to choose from at the dinner, since there will be a variety of foods served buffet style.

I have packed healthy snack foods (homemade muffins, nuts, fruit, veggie sticks) and water for while we travel.

It will be interesting to see if any family members notice my weight loss since I have not seen them since the previous funeral, which was early in January (only a week after I started My Healthy Eating Challenge).

Stay tuned for Sunday... I will give a report!  :-)

DAY 95 -- Sample meal ideas.

Several years ago, I had a friend that frequently told me, "I would love to follow you around all day and see what you eat.  I don't understand how you eat without sugar."  Then I would explain that many foods do not contain added sugar!  
So, with that in mind, I thought today I would post a few sample meal ideas, just in case others wonder the same thing, "What do you eat?"


Even though I don't count calories, fat grams, carbs, portions, or whatever, I do try to eat from the basic food groups.


Breakfast:  


I have some grain or starch, for instance (but not limited to)... oat bran, shredded wheat cereal, Zoom (whole wheat cereal), cracked wheat cereal, fried potatoes, or whole wheat pancakes. (Any cereals I purchase, I carefully read the labels to make sure there are no sugars added.)


I add fruit to my cereal to sweeten it, like fresh banana, peaches, pears, or dried fruit, like raisins.  If I have pancakes, I eat it with butter and natural applesauce on top (or sometimes pears).  If I use canned fruit, I use the kind canned in its natural juice (no sugar or artificial sweeteners added).


For protein I have an egg (from cage free chickens at a local farm), or cottage cheese (I select cottage cheese that does not have dextrose added, and I select cottage cheese made from cows not treated with growth hormones).  Once in awhile I have uncured bacon (cured bacon has sodium nitrates--I read about those and they scare me!!).


And I usually have milk (again...from cows not treated with growth hormones.)


Lunch:


I typically have a tossed salad for lunch.  I love salads!  I drizzle olive oil over it, and I have a variety of vinegars to choose from. 


I have protein, and a grain/starch, and if I have room, then I sometimes add some fruit.  Usually my lunch menu consists of leftovers from supper the night before... such as...


Supper:


I usually serve cooked vegetables for dinner.  And then serve a variety of foods with protein and grain/starch.  And I'm talking a WIDE variety of stuff.  Here is just a smidgeon of what we've had recently.


Chicken Cacciatore (made with tomato paste--no sugar added, and seasonings) served over whole wheat or whole grain pasta.


Steak with potatoes.


Pork loin with a homemade teriyaki (no sweetener) sauce, served with brown rice.  


Ahi tuna, with sweet potatoes, or squash.


(For suppers, I try to rotate through chicken, beef, pork, fish... so we aren't having protein from the same source meal after meal.)


Snacks:


A small piece of cheese with apple, and a few Triscuits.
-or-
A healthy homemade muffin, with some milk.  (The recipes I use only call for a couple tablespoons of honey or 100% maple syrup, to sweeten the entire batch.)
-or-
Plain Greek yogurt mixed with fruit and a few raw walnuts (broken into pieces).


Again, this list is just a very small sample of the foods I eat, but hopefully it gives a general overview.


Maybe I should allow people to come follow me around and see what I eat... as long as they do the dishes, laundry, and clean the house while they are here!  ;-)

DAY 86 -- Weighing the "cost."

Friday, when I was with my niece, she told me about a friend of hers who said, "I can't afford to eat healthy."  To which my niece replied, "You can't afford NOT to eat healthy!"

Eating healthy prevents many illnesses and diseases.  Health is too important to ignore.

When my husband and I started buying organic foods and avoiding processed foods, we expected our grocery bill to increase, but it has not.  It balances out.  Sure, we spend more on some grocery items now, but we are not buying processed snacks and junk, plus we are not eating out as much.  I've also been pleasantly surprised that we usually find organic produce on sale for LESS than what the regular produce sells for.

So, over the past few months we have not noticed a change in our budget, but we've certainly noticed a change in our health!  Worth every cent.

DAY 84 -- Birds of a feather.

I spent the day with the niece I've mentioned in previous posts.  We went to several religious classes together, plus spent time gabbing.  I enjoy being with her because she eats in a similar fashion.  She's not addicted to sugar, but she avoids it because she learned that her body does not handle it well.  She's also into health and nutrition; and has studied it for twenty years.

It's pleasant to be with someone who does not ridicule, or judge the way I eat...someone who doesn't mind sitting in comfortable chairs and sharing healthy snacks (homemade not-so-sweet muffins, vegetable sticks, almonds, fruit) rather than hit the fast food joint.  Some people feel uncomfortable around me because they want to "pig out" and they feel like they can't do that if I am around.  (I've had people tell me this--that's how I know.)

Sometimes the hardest part about eating healthy is being the "odd person out," so I thoroughly enjoyed female gab time with someone who "gets me."

DAY 79 -- Yummy muffins

Last week I made some more muffins to put in the freezer.  I like to make a variety, then freeze them to have on hand for quick snacks, or to add to a meal.

Tonight I pulled out one of the "Apple Pecan Muffins with Currants" to have for a snack.  So delicious.  I made it less sweet than what the recipe called for.  It said to use 1/4 cup of maple syrup, but I used a couple tablespoons.

I posted the recipe on the Recipe page.

DAY 72 -- Crackers

When it comes to crackers, sometimes it is harder to find a healthy choice.  My two favorite crackers, though, are Ry-Krisp (the seasoned ones), and Triscuits.  Both have very few ingredients and whole grain. They are one of the few "processed" or packaged foods that I still eat.  (Years ago I tried making my own rye crackers but they did not turn out...too thick and hard as rocks!)

Ry-Krisp has whole rye, corn bran, sunflower oil, salt, and caraway.   

Triscuits have whole grain soft white winter wheat, soybean oil, and salt.

Most crackers have a bunch of ingredients that I can't even pronounce, and even have added sugars, so to me, these two crackers are a healthy choice.

I don't snack as much as I used to (snacking only when I am real hungry and it is still awhile until mealtime) but when I do have a snack, I enjoy a couple of either Ry-Krisp, or Triscuits, a small piece of imported white cheese, and a little bit of fruit.

DAY 28 -- Traveling while sleepy

Well, I did "okay" for most of my trip.  I made fairly healthy choices with what was offered, and during the times I ate out.  However, it was difficult while driving home since I was sleepy.  I wanted to eat to stay awake.  I had healthy foods to snack on, but still ate more than necessary.  I finally decided to talk out loud as though someone was traveling with me, so that my mouth would be busy talking instead of eating, which helped me stay awake!  :)

DAY 14 -- Fatigue

I battled fatigue today for some reason.  Not sure why.  Still eating healthy.  I guess some days are just like that.  With fatigue, my body starts to act like it needs more "fuel" for energy but I made sure I was really hungry first before having any snack -- usually I drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes (or more) and see if I still feel hungry.

I love having fruit mixed with plain yogurt with a few chopped walnuts.  Mmm mmm mmm!