Good Eats!!

My FAVORITE Sous Chef *helping* me!!

What you been cooking? Many days at my house it is very simple fare -- some eggs cooked in sauteed spinach or a bowl of Greek yogurt tends to be my go-to dishes as an empty nester. BUT I still LOVE to cook -- feeding people is probably my love language. So when the opportunity to feed someone arises, I try to rise to the occasion. Here are some dishes I have made recently.

Stocking a Low-Carb Pantry



Photo Credit: Country Living Magazine

The above image is one I've drooled over for YEARS -- this is my dream pantry, complete with the vintage RED screen door. Maybe someday!!

Pantry is more about what you have on hand than it is about where you store that supply. I thought I would share with you what my pantry consists of although low-carb is done is a vast number of different ways and your pantry could look completely different than mine.

Nailed IT!!

a low carb version of Blueberry Greek Yogurt Pancakes that is!! Remember my attempt here? I didn't have a cute little house guest but a snowed in day was the perfect time to work some more on this recipe.

SUPERFood Frittata

I don't know about you, but whenever there is a new article or list touting the benefits of SUPERFOODS, it gets my full attention. Don't we all want to make sure that what we're eating is giving us the maximum health benefit? As someone who's WOE is low-carb, it is always very encouraging to see the staples of my way of eating make the cut. So what makes a superfood, SUPER -- they are whole foods that contain a high concentration of nutrients. In order to be labeled a superfood, it must offer specific health benefits above and beyond its normal nutritional value and optimize your health.

Some Are Winners.......

and some are not!

I am talking about developing low-carb recipes here. Specifically a recipe for Blueberry Pancakes. Now I have been making a great pancake recipe from Mellissa at I Breathe...I'm Hungry. I LOVE her recipe BUT it is more crepe-like than pancake-like to me. I am wanting a thicker, more *cake* like pancake -- one that can take on blueberries and syrup and hold up.

Be Prepared -- The Low-Carbers Motto!

Ok, so I know that is the Boy Scout motto, but I have adopted it as my own. As a motto, it serves me well. Being prepared helps me stay on task and eliminates questionable decisions. I am writing all this for MY benefit. You see, it has been a KrAzY week.

Low Carbing through the ICKY-SICKIES!



photo credit: womansday.com

I should have seen it coming. Last week my friend at work was sick. Then daughter came down with it -- I did a good job of skirting contact with both of them THEN my grandboy came down with it. He needed Gigi kisses and cuddles and come Friday afternoon I was feeling a little puny. Saturday was the big Christmas party at work and I didn't plan to miss that for nothing. All day on Saturday I talked myself into feeling better - and I pretty much didn't eat anything. Had a lovely limo ride to Lincoln and dinner at a swanky restaurant and the icky-sickies sucker-punched me BIG TIME. While everyone else enjoyed a show, I took a nap in the back of the limo and then the misrable ride back home (2 hours).

Sunday was pretty much spent in bed and besides water nothing passed my lips. By Monday I knew I needed to eat something if I was going to regain my strength. Then the BIG question - what to eat when you have a low-carb WOE and you are sick? In my pre-low-carb days, I would have reached for saltine crackers, toast, or maybe even chicken noodle soup. I feel programed to want those foods when I am not feeling well. Those were not going to do. One thing I have always liked to settle an upset tummy is gingerale. Sadly, sugar-free gingerale isn't so easy to find in my neck of the woods. In place of  that, I drank Fresca w/a little knob of fresh ginger in it. Next came some sf Jello. As I tolerated those well, I moved on to chicken broth (all I had was the canned variety and it was perfect) -- first I had it plain, then I added a raw egg that I had scrambled up to the hot broth (eggdrop soup style). Lastly, late in the day I ate soft scrambled eggs that I added a handful of baby spinach to. By then I had regain my strength and was able to put together a pot of simple beef and veggie soup for the rest of the week. I ate the last of that today for lunch.

I have decided that although I rarely get sick, I am going to keep sf Jello, canned broth, ginger, Fresca and eggs on hand ALWAYS. What do you want when you're sick? Do you find it harder to stick to a low-carb WOE while ill?

Technical Difficulties

Thank you for all the *heads up* emails and comments. We are having technical difficulties and are working frantically to get things back on track. Thanks for your patience and HUGE thanks to my friend Gwen who's help I couldn't do this without. More Faithfulness Farm and  low-carb living posts very soon.

Eggnog Latte a la Low Carb

A LONG time ago my family and I lived outside Seattle -- until then I never thought much about coffee -- after that, a coffee hound I was. I worked with a young woman who talked constantly about Starbuck's Eggnog Latte's - when they were going on sale, how good they were, blah, blah, blah. Then the first day that year they were available she brought me one....

The Low-Carb Thanksgiving Dinner

Rockwell's Thanksgiving

I finalized my menu and braved the store to shop for all the supplies - whew, that was a HUGE deal. I spent this afternoon prepping some of the things I could do ahead since this will be a busy week for me.

I know I've written this before, but Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday! This is my 3rd Thanksgiving as a low-carber. The first one I kind of just did what I always do on Thanksgiving - last year I added some low-carb sides and a sugar-free dessert option. This year I am totally embracing my Low-Carb WOE and all of the Thanksgiving dinner will be Low-Carb friendly. SO with that declaration, WFD -- WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

Obsessed with Breakfast

Have I mentioned lately that I am obsessed with breakfast? I think a lot of people's impression is that a low-carb breakfast is all about eggs and bacon -- I do eat both but rarely for breakfast. Lately I have expanded my breakfast fare so much that I posted about it here and here, lol....and yet HERE I am posting about it AGAIN!! 

Back to the Business of Blogging!!

Dust swept away and cobwebs cleared, I think we're ready to open the doors for company. If you have been by at all this week then you got a little preview of the changes as they took place. WELCOME to Faithfulness Farm and take a look at all that is all shined up and new here! Before I start to ramble too much I want to send a HUGE shout out to my friend Gwen. She is the one who did all the spiffing up around here. She is talented to no end (and there is no end to her patience either - I know, I got in her way a few times, lol). Thank-you Gwen - you are a blessing my friend!

Switching Gears!

Remember me? Firstly, I want to apologize for going AWOL -- life has been very full and busy around Faithfulness Farm. I cannot believe how much time has lapsed since I last checked in. During that time I've done a lot of self-searching and decision making regarding this blog. For a split second I considered closing the blog -- had I run out of things to say?

Chat-Chat and All That!!

GOOD MORNING to ALL my Bloggy Friends!

Yesterday was Administrative Professional’s Day – otherwise known as Secretary’s Day. Belated greetings to the other Admin Pro’s out there. Maybe I AM old, but I still call myself a Secretary – when did that become a derogatory moniker? Working in the world of accounting and tax prep, the *holiday* comes at a very GOOD time for me and the other secretary in our office – all the hard work we put in during tax season is fresh in everyone’s memory and we SCORE the gifts, lol. Now usually I am NOT the send flowers from the florist kind of gal (being more the go to the nursery and bring me a tree or bush or such kind of gal), BUT I admit to always enjoying the lovely flowers that adorn my desk because of Administrative Professional’s Day.

Speaking of tax season – WHEW – so glad that is over for another year!! I have used my *extra* time since putting my little nest back together – fluffing and more fluffing! Last weekend my daughters helped me put on a garage sale. I was able to downsize quite a lot and remember me telling you that Easter dinner would probably be the last family gathering around my dining room table – it was. It now belongs to a nice family with lots of little children and will make new family gathering memories. I have some work to do on my little farm table and then I will be bringing it in and will do a BIG reveal.

Something else new, I have taken on a SECOND job! I tried this a few years ago when I first separated from my now ex-husband. It really didn’t work out but I still had teens at home then and it was a set scheduling situation…..this position is much more flexible and will easily fit into my empty-nester lifestyle – I hope, lol. It will help me pay off that new car quickly – speaking of which, the deer damage is now but a memory!

Vacation is coming up and that means so is my 10K – YIKES!! More about that later.

We continue with our weird weather year – very unseasonably warm. I spoke with my friend the farmer last night and he said he was planting his last field of corn – IT’S STILL APRIL! I have so far resisted the urge to get out and plant my annuals – although I have been itching to get at it!

Usually I stop writing when I am done with what is new or what I have to talk about – well, I could go on and on (didn’t even mention the grandbaby, lol), BUT will save some back for later.

One more thought, I received an email yesterday from my friends at Gooseberry Patch -- I have not 1 BUT TWO new books on their way to me for review -- that means LOTS of new recipes and giveaways!! Look for those SOON!

I’ve missed blogging and my blogging friends! Be Blessed Friends!!

My Journey!

My blog is not one that is very defined. You know, some blogs are *cooking* blogs and some are *crafting* blogs and others are *decorating* blogs. Mine has always been a *slice-of-life* kind of blog - a little of everything. That said, in the last (almost) 2 years I’ve tried to not say too much about my journey to lose weight because I didn’t want to be a *weight loss* blogger. Mostly because I am no expert and have struggled on the way.

A few weeks ago I got the idea that it was time to share my journey. New Year’s seemed to be perfect timing – it is the time of year that many will make a RESOLUTION -- I know I've made many of them. BUT something kept nagging at me -- you see, my journey is not complete. Somehow I felt unqualified to share IF I still was a work in progress. So, *I* decided I'd share *IF* I made a milestone – my 100lb weight loss mark. That milestone had been eluding me and seemed to be just out of my grasp. Despite the work I've put in, seems it still is - I stand before you today 96lbs lighter than I once was and 15lbs from my ultimate goal. I didn’t make the 100lbs before January 1, 2012 – and somehow that doesn’t matter to me now – what does matter is that each day I get up and continue on my way – I've worked hard – keeping to my low carb eating plan, exercising, journaling my daily intake and activity – I’ll continue to work hard and someday I’ll get where it is I’m going. You see, really, my journey has been just as much about redefining my relationship with both food and myself as it has been about losing weight.

I should tell you a little about how I ended up where I was. I come from a long line of shorter, rounder peoples. Body fat was our insurance policy during times of famine or seasonal food scarcity. We were accomplished at surviving. Besides that fact, wonderful cooks abound in my family. Despite that working against me, I was a very active teen and young adult and I never had a weight issue until baby #1 arrived (is it still baby fat if baby is going on 29, lol). Then baby #2 arrived 2 years later without all the weight gain from first baby gone. I have 4 children – see the trend here, lol? A marriage that was less than perfect only compounded my issues. I tried many things along the way – the worst being the drug combination Fen-Phen. I always was able to achieve some short term weight loss but the weight always came back on – PLUS MORE. I hit my heaviest weight in 2002. I rarely allowed myself to be photographed and the photos from that time bring tears to my eyes….mostly because it is evidence of just how unhappy I was.

Spring 2002

New Year’s 2003, I resolved to finally do something about my weight. I started Atkin’s. I felt GREAT. The weight started coming off and I was never hungry and had energy in abundance. I did the Atkin’s program diligently from January 1 until mid-May and lost 40lbs. At that point I was derailed. Then started what I call the *counting* years. I counted – steps, points, calories, fat grams, fiber grams – IF you could count it, I did. I never had the success I did with Atkin’s and it didn’t escape my notice that the Atkin’s weight loss didn’t come back like with other things I tried. My marriage ended in November 2007 (although the divorce wasn’t finalized until mid-2011). I don’t know why it took me so long to return to Atkin’s, but it did – all the way to March 8, 2010.

February 2010

My weigh-in on that day found me 30lb less than my all-time high of 2003 but still classified as obese (when I do a BMI on my highest weight it says EXTREMELY OBESE). I started program and have never looked back. Today I am close to being 100lbs lighter than the heaviest me and 66lbs lighter than I was March 8, 2010. I am active, I run and I feel younger than I have in years. I also feel compelled to say that eating low-carb and the Atkin's program are not a *diet* to me -- this is my lifestyle now. Yeah, I still love to bake for my family and those who can tolerate carbs - but not for me. I will forever eat like this. That is a huge reason why my weight loss hasn't been over just a few months -- I am learning to maintain as I go.

December 2011

So I’m sharing – even though I struggle - struggling is what people do – what I know is this – struggling with someone else makes the struggle easier - maybe my struggles can encourage you or yours can encourage me. If you are embarking on your own journey or you, like me, are somewhere along the way, reach out. I am here. I will celebrate with you and offer whatever words of wisdom I can to encourage you along.

Happy New Year AND Happy Trails!!

Posting to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP.