Well, I could whine about the heat some more, and how it's still making it a royal pain to cook and exercise. But then you'd be fully justified in whining at me for complaining about a fact of life in Southern California. So let's just skip all that and get to this week's numbers:
- Today's weight: 272.0 lb
- Change since last week: -3.0 lb
- Cumulative weight loss: 62 lb
You'll notice that I breezed right through the big six-oh milestone without so much as a blink of an eye. Don't think for a minute, though, that I'm taking that for granted--on the contrary, I'm especially glad of my continued progress given that I've been eating out rather more often than usual this past week. I always try to conform to the almighty food plan as much as possible even when in restaurants, but there's no denying that it's a good bit more challenging than when I'm at home and have total control over recipe content and portion size. So--nice to get the positive feedback that I'm still right on track (despite the weather--whine whine whine giggle).
Meanwhile, one of those eating-out experiences still involved my own cooking. I have volunteered to supply the eats for the after-services coffee hour at my church one service a month, and my first go at it was this past Sunday. The woman in charge of the Church kitchen has been on a one-person war for the past year to stamp out the stale doughnuts and cookies repasts of the past, and I was more than happy to join her in this endeavor--especially since it allowed me to sneak in some healthy foods as well. What I presented last Sunday:
- Homemade hummus -- so simple, and so good! Either boil up some dried chickpeas till nice and soft, or rinse and drain some canned chickpeas. Mash well (but leave some lumps and texture)--by hand, blender, food processor, mortar and pestle, or whatever means necessary. Add to taste all of the following: tahini (Middle Eastern toasted sesame butter--you can substitute a good-quality natural peanut butter in a pinch); lemon juice; mashed raw garlic; fresh-ground pepper; extra-virgin olive oil; salt. Mix well; thin as needed with water, reserved bean juices, or more lemon juice till it's spreadable-to-dippable consistency. Optional: add some finely chopped parsley, cilantro, or green onions to taste.
- Homemade yogurt dip -- this is a super-mild version of an Indian raita, and also dead simple to make. Start with good-quality yogurt--whole milk is preferable, but lowfat will do. Peel, seed, and coarsely grate a big cucumber; let drain in a colander for awhile. Beat the yogurt with a fork to loosen it up, then mix in the cucumber plus a couple tablespoons of minced fresh mint; season to taste with ground cumin, paprika, and salt.
- Along with these two dips, I presented wedges of white and whole-wheat pita, plus a variety of cut-up fresh fruits and vegetables: cucumbers, zucchini, jicama, celery, carrots, papaya, canteloup, banana, grapes.
- Oh yeah--I did also have a tray of chocolate wafer cookies for those whose sweet tooths would accept no substitutes.
People totally inhaled all the hummus I brought, and also made significant dents in everything else. Cutting up all that produce before serving was a bit of a chore--I may well take the kitchen manager's suggestion next time and get some pre-cut produce. Or not. The pre-cut stuff is so much more expensive than just buying the whole items from the ethnic groceries.
Anyway, the first experiment was definitely a resounding success, and I'm already considering my menu for next month. How about a big bowl of my pico de gallo chopped salad madness, with a bunch of seasoned baked tortilla chips? Sounds good to moi!
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