Thoughts today

Well it's been a couple of days since I have posted. I have been busy, but I haven't fallen off the wagon!

I succeeded with those ribs I was writing about. I used 12 ounces of really flavorful beer that had an undertone of cherries. The beer had 3 carbs for the entire pot of ribs and NO SUGAR! And, it was so good. Hubby said it was a keeper.

So, here is what I did:

In slow cooker:

1 onion, sliced
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, crush in your hands
2 pounds country style pork ribs
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic crushed
12 ounces robust beer, preferably with a fruit undertown

Set on high and cook for 5-6 hours.

YUMMY!!!

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Daily Thoughts

Well it's mid afternoon and I am just getting to the checking in here. I am waiting for my dinner to be ready and it smells luscious. It is cooking in the rice cooker. It is a Mexican style rice and chicken that I made up myself. If you are also following my cooking blog, it is actually something that was planned for next week, but got moved up because at 11AM I discovered the the item scheduled for today takes 6 hours in the slow cooker and we eat dinner around 3.

Anyhow, it's got yellow rice, chicken, bell pepper, hot frying peppers, red kidney beans, onions, garlic and lots of other seasonings too. It is YUMMY! Very filling and totally simply filling if you are following Weight Watchers. That's not the way I am counting right now, but in many ways it is similar. I am actually using the information I have learned from many eating plans (I don't want to say the "D" word) to choose my foods. I think that's why I am being successful. I am not following someone else's plan, I am learning to figure it out myself.

There are a few reasons I eat dinner at lunch time. First it works well for our schedule. I tutor in the late afternoons and don't get home till 8:30PM. Who wants to start cooking dinner then? Plus it's unhealthy to eat a big meal that late. Also, on the nights we like to go out for music, it's far better to have our big meal before we go. That way the night out costs little to nothing.

We will be heading out tonight to see friends of ours perform at a local restaurant. Here is a no recipe recipe for those who like to go out and have a drink now and then. Take a shot of whipped cream flavored vodka and mix it with diet coke or seltzer. YUMMY! And then each time you are half way down the glass, have the bar tender keep filling the glass with ice and more diet coke or seltzer. Also tastes great with decaf coffee and lots of ice. Use Splenda if you need to sweeten it. No sugar and only 3 carbs.

One of my dogs hasn't been feeling well and that has been very stressful. I think he is better today, although he hasn't started to eat or drink yet and that worries me. He will get a bath later to clean him up and I am hoping that perks him up enough to eat. Although he is such a wimpy dog, he will probably pout for a few hours after the bath first. Just giving him a bath will be a work out for the day.

Well that's enough babbling. I need to get our dinner and will write in my ending day numbers later.

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Eating Dinner and Catching Up

My dinner tonight is really tasty. I put 3 already cooked, but frozen, boneless skinless chicken breasts in my rice cooker. I put in 2 rice cooker cups of red rice and 3 cups of frozen spinach and 3 1/2 cups of water. I added 2 tablespoons Vietnamese garlic chili sauce and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cooked on brown rice setting until done. It is very very good and far more filling than I expected. I can have as much of the chicken as I want and 3 cups of the rice mixture. WOW! Almost too much.

It is probably mind over matter, but I think I am actually moving easier tonight than I have in a long time. And, I haven't taken my Aleve yet today.

I don't eat fruit much. There are so many that I don't like. But last week, they were on special and I bought grapefruits. I have 5 left and I don't want them to go to waste, but each one has 20 carbs and 18 of that is sugar. I don't like wasting food and I certainly can't afford it either, so I am not sure what I will do.

I am far more satisfied tonight than I was last night. I wasn't hungry last night, but I was craving something sweet. None of that tonight!

Well, I will be posting my ending numbers a bit later tonight. I did well!

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Risingwoods Vinaigrette

A delightfully flavorful vinaigrette made from the natural flavors of the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts.
Ingredients

* 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
* 1 tablespoon serving maple syrup
* 1 tbsp garlic clove, minced
* 1 tsp leaves oregano
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1 tbsp sage
* 1/2 cup peanut oil

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except oil in a cruet. Shake to mix. Add the oil and shake again. Shake each time it is served to mix all ingredients well.

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This makes 8 servings, Each serving is 2 tablespoon.

Each serving: 2 grams sugar, 3 grams carbs

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