73 & 80 POUNDS LIGHTER

The top picture is of me and my lovely hubby at  our heaviest.  We didn't see ourselves as fat, we were too in love and we both weighed the same weight.  325 pounds.  We love food and we love each others company.  I so far have lost 73 pounds and my hubby has lost 80 pounds.  Yeah he winning LOL.

Here is a little bit of our story and how we did it without even being aware of it.  If you ask about a diet, there was no diet. I have always home cooked then and home cook now and we eat what we want.  If my hubby craves chocolate chip cookies I make them.



                                                               My hubby and I have a unspoken understanding                                                                                      when we shop for food.  It's bizarre but it works.

                                                               We buy the same thing over and over and we do

not deviate from what we buy. This was the old shopping list. Milk, eggs, fruits, veggies, turkey, chicken, turkey sausage, can tuna, can beans, can olives, can pinapple, pasta, rice, butter, bread, fruit juices, tortillas, grains such as wheat berry, quinoa, flour, wheat flour, chocolate chips, olive oil, lots of spices,  Corn meal, sugar's. Frozen blue berries and peas. Yogurt. Cheese, Coffee.   Note: I use to drink fappucinos every day.
This is about all their is to our shopping list. No frozen or packaged food.

    We didn't intend to lose weight it just kind of happened.  We both will stop buying things with out talking to each other and one of those things was Fruit juice.  We just stopped and found our selves bring up the subject of weight and exercise while standing over the scale.   I didn't expect it to read anything else other than 325, but got on it any way and was shocked that it read 315.  I was in such disbelief and utter amazement I got off and on the scale about 10 more time totally convinced that something was wrong with it.  My hubby also noticed the same 10 pound difference when he got on.   We both look at each like HUH!?   Then it dawned on us it was because we had stopped drinking the OJ, Cranberry juice, apple juice, and other brands of juice.  10 pounds gone just from stopping juice. WOW!
This was the catalyst that got us motivated to keep it off.  I eventually stopped drinking my beloved frappucinos and started drinking tea and more water. Note Coffee is life, we both still do drink it as a treat rather than a staple.
Our new shopping list does not include, bread, fruit juice, tortillas, olive oil.  

I got this down to a science, by keeping track of what we have when we have it.
Ice cream will really be a treat, about every 6 to 7 months.
Bacon haven't had it in year's.
Potato chips year's since we eaten them.
Donuts year's
                                                                Soda Pop. Haven't had soda pop in over 4 years.
                                                                Beer / Wine Never drink.  If you want to pack on the                                                                     pounds alcohol is a sure fire way to do it.

We both started out with baby steps walking around the block, then walking four miles.   I have a saying " Slow and steady wins the race, fast a furious fall on your face."
We have been steadily building up our resistance to what we can do for over 2 years.   Yeah slow, but very healthy.
It was extremely hard at first, but after a while our bodies were like why aren't you exercising?  And you get to the point that if you don't exercise you don't feel right. For us it's a combination of great love and respect for each other, determination, and discipline.   We do it for each other and we support each other.

Now we both can cycle for 2 hours, walk for 2 hour and do minimal jogging.  But we don't do this every day.  We keep things interesting my doing different things.   We both are currently training for a 100 mile ride for next year 2016.  This is for us and our health.

Our meal plan is very plain.  Most of the recipes I post that are two week or three week special meals we do not eat these foods meals every day.   What we do eat is a lot of soups, dirty rice, home made tortilla wraps, fruit, very light pasta salads and then keep the other recipes for a treat, not all the time.

So I'm always trying to think of healthier versions, to shave off calories.  















                                                              

CINNAMON COOKIES 2

CINNAMON COOKIES 2
This is another spin on the cinnamon cookies just in case you want to cut the eggs out.
This recipe has no eggs in it at all.   These cookies are great for ice cream sandwiches.
Note: These cookies will be flat and wafer like.

INGREDIENTS.
2 Cups flour  ( About) 19 to 20 heaping Tablespoons.
1 Table spoon of cinnamon and 1 additional teaspoon.
1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cups sugar
4 to 5 Table spoons of half and half.  (The milk replaces the egg)
1 (4 oz) stick of butter
1 Teaspoon of baking soda
1 Teaspoon of baking powder.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:
You will need a big bowl, a electric egg beater or pastry knife.  A cookie tray to cook the cookies.


FIRST: BEAT LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW.
Note:  I like to pulse the butter in the microwave for about 8 seconds, twice to soften the butter.
But keep in mind all microwaves run at different temperature, so pulse less just to be safe.

Cream the butter in a bowl with your weapon of choice, when it is thoroughly creamed add white sugar and incorporate into the butter. And if all the butter get stuck in the egg beaters that's okay :)  Add two table spoons of milk and keep beating.  Add the brown sugar. Beat some more. Next add the baking soda and powder and beat in. Add the rest of the milk a table spoon at a time until the mixtuer is moist, but not sopping. Yes there is a lot of beating going on.  If your using the Pastry knife to cream the butter, just cut it up and keep cutting as you add the sugars and milk.  Cut, cut, cut, then use a wooden spoon.

SECOND: A WHOLE LOT OF MIXING.
 Now add about three to four tablespoons of flour and mix it in.  Keep on doing this with the flour so you don't overwhelm the batter. The batter should be very moist and slightly sticky.  If you add too much flour it will overwhelm the butter and the cookie will not spread out, instead you will have a hard piece of cookie. Not yummy.  This is why you add a little at a time to the batter. One way to tell if the batter is good is mix it with a wooden spoon and if you can get a big chuck of it to stick to the spoon by lifting it up.  Sticky enough to stick to the spoon and not fall off. Work the flour super good into the dough.

THIRD: SHAPING.
1. Shaping by hand. Have a small bowl with flour in it to pat down the palms of your hands, this keep the batter from sticking to your hands.  You want to pick up about a walnut size or a little bigger and gently roll it in your hands making a ball and then place on cookie baking tray about two inches apart.

2. Using a spoon.  Use two spoon's smaller than a soup spoon. Pick up a little bit of the dough about the size of a walnut and then use the other spoon to push off the batter onto the cookie baking tray again leave about two inches between the cookies.

FOURTH: BAKING
Bake at 325 to 350 for 12 minutes or cookies have a nice lite golden look.  But keep in mind the smaller you make the cookies the faster they cook, the bigger the longer they will cook. So always be mindful.
After they are done take them out of the oven and have a cookie rack near by to cool them on. With a metal spatula carefully lift time off the tray and place them on the rack to cool for five minutes or more.
Note: Cookies coming right out of the oven are very soft and breakable. As they cool they harden up and become yummy.



Fill up a tall glass with milk and enjoy.

YAM SPICED COOKIES

YAM SPICED COOKIES   

This is what happenens when I get bored and I have a half of yam left.   My hubby gave me the raised eye brow when I told him yam.   They're kind of a cross between a cookie and a muffin and probably a tad more on the healthy side.  Well they're all gone so they past the yumminess test.

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 Cup Flour.
1 stick of room temp butter.
1/2 Cup Sugar.
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar.
1 cup yam.
1 teaspoon cinnamon.
1 teaspoon cumin.
1 teaspoon paprika. 
1 teaspoon baking soda.
1 teaspoon baking powder. 
2 eggs. 
1/2 cup Chocolate chips or raisins, peanuts, dried cranberries or mixed.  

METHOD OF PREPARATION:  

FIRST: 
Peel and chop your yam into small cubes that are roughly all the same size, put in a pot and fill with water and bring to a boil.  When the yam is done you should be able to take a piece out and easily smash it with a fork.  When all are cooked.  Turn off burner and drain.  Set aside and let cool.

SECOND:
Cream the butter with a egg beater add the white sugar and beat in, then add the brown sugar and beat in.  Next add both the baking powder, baking soda, and spices beat in really good.  Next add both eggs and beat in good.  
Next take the cooled yam pieces and pour off any excess water, smash and add one cup of smashed yam mixture to the batter beat in then add your chocolate chips, or other tastie idea. The batter will turn a bit watery that ok.

THIRD:  
Stir in the flour.  Add one cup and stir in completely, add the next cup and again stir until competely incorperated.  Remeber we do not what to over whelm the dough.   So with the rest add a little at a time.  Until the dough sticks to the spoon and clumps.  It's ok for it to be a little sticky.

FOURTH: 
Spray a cookie tray with nonstick spray. Dip your hands in flour and rool walnut size balls of dough. Space them about a inch apart on the cookie tray.  Next take a fork and dip it in flour and gently press down on each cookie ball. You can even make a cross hatch.  

Cook on 325 until light golden brown.   Cool on rack.

Enjoy the spice of life.

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFT OVER RICE?

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFT OVER RICE?

Rice, rice and more rice.  Rice is good.  But what do you do when you have made too much or your family has not eaten all of it?  Do not throw it away.   Instead save it and put it in a freezer container.
These recipes are excellent with burritos, fajitas or stir fry.
Their is a gazillion things you can do with it.  I'll share with you a few of my favorites.

INGREDIENTS: 

RECIPE ONE:

 2 to 3 cups LEFT OVER RICE of any kind.
3 to 4 cloves of garlic chopped.
Lose bunch of cilantro.
1 poblano pepper.
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
1 Teaspoon of toasted sesame seed oil or any other oil will be fine.
3 to 4 soup cubes if you have them. If not be sure to check any of my soup recipes.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

If you are using frozen rice, let it thaw out in the refrigerator until you can break it apart easily.  And when you add it to the pan it's ok that it's still cold.  
If you have a couple of soup ice cubes in your freezer this is a good time to toss in about three or four add great flavor.

FIRST: 
Have the rice in a bowl ready to go.
Mince very well the garlic, poblano, cilantro and garlic.  Add oil to a your pan and turn up to medium.  Saute until you start to smell a nice fragrance. Now add a little bit of rice and stir in and add a your soup cubes if you have them. If not mix every thing together and stir.  Add a little more and mix,  Then mix in the rest with the spices. Keep stirring until until the ice cubes melt all the way.  But the time the cubes have melted the rice is done.


RECIPE TWO:
2 to 3 cups LEFT OVER RICE of any kind.
1/2 cup of frozen peas.
1/2 cup of diced carrots cooked or frozen.
1/2 red bell pepper.
1 minced jalapeno (optional)
Lose bunch of cilantro
1/2 onion  Red or White is great for this, or a little bit of both.
3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch fresh grated ginger.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

FIRST:  
Have a bowl of cold ice water ready.  Bring a small pot of water to a boil add frozen peas and carrots. We are not cooking them, so as soon as they are thawed scoop them out with a straining sieve and dunk them in ice water to stop them from cooking, then as soon as their cooled remove them from water and set aside.
Mince very well the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, bell pepper and ginger. Then dice your onion Add oil to a your pan and turn up to medium.  Saute the mixture with the onion until you start to smell a nice fragrance. Now add a little bit of rice and stir in and add a your soup cubes if you have them. If not mix every thing together and stir.  Add a little more and mix,  Then mix in the rest with the spices. Keep stirring until until the ice cubes melt all the way.  But the time the cubes have melted the rice is done.

And the neat thing with these recipes is their is tons of things you can add to make it your own.

Happy Left Overs.  

CINNAMON COOKIES

CINNAMON COOKIES

I've been on a cinnamon kick.  My hubby and I had the best cinnamon bagels ever, they reminded me of when I was a little girl at the fair ground. Buttery, Cinnamon and just plain yummy.   So  cinnamon cookies...YES PLEASE.  
NOTE: This is basically chocolate chip cookies with out the chocolate chips.

INGREDIENTS.
2 Cups flour  ( About) 19 to 20 heaping Tablespoons.
1 Table spoon of cinnamon and 1 additional teaspoon.
3/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 4 oz stick of butter
1 Teaspoon of baking soda
1 Teaspoon of baking powder.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:
You will need a big bowl, a electric egg beater or pastry knife.  A cookie tray to cook the cookies.


FIRST: BEAT LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW.
Note:  I like to pulse the butter in the microwave for about 8 seconds, twice to soften the butter.
But keep in mind all microwaves run at different temperature, so pulse less just to be safe.

Cream the butter in a bowl with your weapon of choice, when it is thoroughly creamed add white sugar and incorporate into the butter. And if all the butter get stuck in the egg beaters that's okay :)   Break one egg and add it to butter. Beat to incorporate, then add brow sugar. Beat some more. Next add the baking soda and powder and beat in.  Last but not least add the other egg and beat in. Yes there is a lot of beating going on.  If your using the Pastry knife to cream the butter, just cut it up and keep cutting as you add the sugars and eggs.  Cut, cut, cut, then use a wooden spoon.

SECOND: A WHOLE LOT OF MIXING.
 Now add about three to four tablespoons of flour and mix it in.  Keep on doing this with the flour so you don't overwhelm the batter. The batter should be very moist and slightly sticky.  If you add too much flour it will overwhelm the butter and the cookie will not spread out, instead you will have a hard piece of cookie. Not yummy.  This is why you add a little at a time to the batter. One way to tell if the batter is good is mix it with a wooden spoon and if you can get a big chuck of it to stick to the spoon by lifting it up.  Sticky enough to stick to the spoon and not fall off.

THIRD: SHAPING.
1. Shaping by hand. Have a small bowl with flour in it to pat down the palms of your hands, this keep the batter from sticking to your hands.  You want to pick up about a walnut size or a little bigger and gently roll it in your hands making a ball and then place on cookie baking tray about two inches apart.

2. Using a spoon.  Use two spoon's smaller than a soup spoon. Pick up a little bit of the dough about the size of a walnut and then use the other spoon to push off the batter onto the cookie baking tray again leave about two inches between the cookies.

FOURTH: BAKING
Bake at 325 to 350 for 12 minutes or cookies have a nice lite golden look.  But keep in mind the smaller you make the cookies the faster they cook, the bigger the longer they will cook. So always be mindful.
After they are done take them out of the oven and have a cookie rack near by to cool them on. With a metal spatula carefully lift time off the tray and place them on the rack to cool for five minutes or more.
Note: Cookies coming right out of the oven are very soft and breakable. As they cool they harden up and become yummy.

 TROUBLE SHOOTING IDEAS 
OK you got the batter done and you not sure if there's not enough flour added. Let's say you added all 20 Tablespoon and your still not sure. Here is a way to find out. Yeah it takes a little while, but you'll save the batter. And this is a good way to get better and better at the skill of making cookies.
1. Not sure if their enough flour added.  Turn the oven on to 325 or 350. Spray a cookie sheet and make some cookie dough balls, one or two is fine. Cook them for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Let them cool on a cookie rack for 5 minutes then test.  If the cookies is yummy don't change one thing and cook the rest.  If it didn't set up right after the five minutes add about 3 to four more Table spoons of flour.


Fill up a tall glass with milk and enjoy.