OK....Has everyone else gone on a diet too

[The empressof all]

It's been awfully slooooooooowwwwwww in here lately. Despite everything, we still gotta eat.

What's for dinner?

I'm doing salad and roast chicken. Cauliflower for dessert! :)

[politicat]

1. Not dieting (any more than normal)

I always live on a tiny amount of calories. But since the house fire and the subsequent anxiety attacks, the only cooking I've been doing is comfort food and breads. I'm too distracted to do anything that requires concentration and too mentally out of kilter to experiment much. Now that the drugs are kicking in, I'm coming back to myself, but sometimes the panic catches me, and I kind of fall apart. Not a good idea when something's on the stove.

That said, I created a great recipe for low fat, low sugar brownies by subbing a lot of stuff around (half the butter for apple sauce, using European dark cocoa powder instead of chocolate powder, decreasing the sugar to a scant half cup and using egg substitute.) Satisfied my needs for deep, dark chocolate.

I've made tons of banana bread, lots of pumpkin bread, and a lot of Indian food (also a comfort food for me.) Other than that.... not much in the way of creativity.

[The empressof all]

2. I hope you are on the upswing now

I'm more of a cook than a baker only because I need to stay away from wheat as much as possible. I don't have an out and out allergy so I can enjoy small amounts on rare occasions. If I have baked goods in the house I go out of control and binge. Brownies and cookies are a big weakness. I tend to save my wheat allotment for pasta.

I love Indian food and would love to experiment more with making it so I can avoid those Indian resturant dens of sin. (We always buy way more food than we can eat and take home sooooo much) Do you make Saag or Palek Paneer. I've experimented but still can't get the spicing down. I've done a pretty good Paneer with the cheesecloth over the faucet method. Without the spinach though it's just bland curd. I'd love some helpful hints.

[politicat]

4. The drugs are slowly helping.

Neurochemical imbalances are hell to fix (and I've been helping fix 'em for the last eight years) so I'm looking at a month or so before I'm back to where I was two months ago. (But I'm slowly writing again, so this is a good thing.) Once the insurance comes in, I'll be better; until then, there's a lot of stress based on some weird legal issues. (I hate living in a red state....) Fortunately, I can and did take medical leave from my job because there's no way I could be a useful therapist right now.

Sorry about the sensitivity - I'm on the other side, I guess.... Without wheat, I would probably starve - I don't digest corn well, and I can only do so much rice.... so wheat and barley are my primary carbs, plus potatoes, and we don't eat a lot of meat or tofu.

I have made my own Saag, but I am not nearly as good at it as the local place (and their prices are reasonable-ish.) The closest I've come to what Taj makes is to start with a basic creamed spinach recipe (Fannie Farmer), add some cubed paneer (which I buy from the Indian grocers) and a packaged spice blend from the grocer that's made for making Saag. (I know fenugreek figures prominently.) Instead of chicken broth, I used lamb broth left over from when I made lamb stew for the creamed spinach.

Fresh ginger paste and garlic paste help a lot, as do coriander, cumin and really finding a garam masala mix you like. You might ask at your favorite restaurant how their garam mix is proportioned. That's how I figured out how to make what I like - it's kind of like asking your mom what her spice proportions are for your favorite childhood dish.

[NMDemDist2]

9. glad it's getting better, hang in there!

hope we still can get together in May :hug:

this to will pass (my mantra these days too)

[politicat]

12. I'll definitely be down.

My sister found a house that's a vacation rental, so other than the fact that there are going to be 6 adults and 2 kids in a four bedroom, 2 bath house in Gilbert (but it's got a gorgeous BBQ set up outside) I'm still coming down. (And said house is FAR better than trying to cram into either my mom's place or into hotel rooms.)

We'll be there for a week, though Mom's still trying to decide which week she wants us for (Her party is the weekend of the 20th, so she's dithering whether she wants us there the week before or the week after). DH and I are driving down; renting a car up here (since we have to rent one anyway - we don't really need AC up here) and coming over the mountains instead of through New Mexico.

[Warpy]

5. I'm stress eating, and most of it is junk

because my dad isn't doing well, one complication after another, and he keeps telling me it's time and he wants to GO. He's already turned down all heroics, but he's resisting even routine care, so it looks like he means business and will do his level best to check out as soon as possible.

So, lacking adequate kitchen facilities and taking all the stuff my mother had to the Salvation Army, I live out of bakery boxes and a microwave and honi soit qui mal y pense.

Nutrition and creativity will have to wait until the dust clears.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

6. Be strong

Good luck. This is the hardest time.

[Warpy]

7. To hell with strong

Gimme a Krispy Kreme.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Warpy .......

I've walked in your shoes .... all too recently and all too frequently, it seems.

:hug:

About those Krispy Kremes ...... :donut: ...... I've done that walk, too. Its lots more pleasant.

[NMDemDist2]

8. I"m so sorry Warpy

:hug:

I admire his decision, but it is so hard to let go.....

I'll keep good thoughts heading your way, hang in there :hug:

[politicat]

13. Oh, Warpy.....

I know it's hard at this stage (we were there in October), but you will make it. I wish him peace in transition and comfort for you in the meantime and after.

If you PM me an address, I'll send you my "Oh-my-god-these-must-be-going-straight-to-my-thighs-but-they're-not" brownies.

[Stepup2]

20. This is so hard...

I have been there too. It is hard to remember to eat, much less plan on anything nutritious.

Try to take good care of your self.

[The empressof all]

21. It's tough to be in the middle of this

I know he must be greatful for your presence and support at this time. Go for the Krispy Kremes. This is their true higher calling, to provide comfort in those times of distress.

[NMDemDist2]

3. i sure need one, but I made lavenderdiva's Chicken Divan yesterday

and it's on the menu again tonight (leftovers)

and I can tell you one thing, it sure ain't diet food :rofl:

I'll make a salad to go with it so I don't feel quite so guilty :P

[Dora]

11. Not me.

We've had a sick baby - poor guy has moved from one malady to another over the last fourteen days (I am counting, yes I am). Today was only his second day back in daycare and they called me before noon to report that he had a fever and hadn't eaten well.

I've been distracted.

But I have three cakes to make in the next three weeks. One for my son's bday, one for my mother-in-law, and one for a bday/anniversary/gosh-we-love-you-guys gathering we're hosting.

So I've been plotting, too.


My husband sauteed chicken fingers and served it with rice and steamed broccoli for dinner. He's a good man.

[NMDemDist2]

16. poor baby

both of you

hope he gets feeling better soon so Momma can get some rest :hug:

[Lugnut]

14. No diet

It's just been crazy around here. My m-i-l has been in and out of the hospital twice in the past two and a half weeks. She had a stomache bleed from her arthritis meds and lost seven pints of blood over six days. The doctor repaired that and they sent her back to the nursing home. Two days later she was back in the hospital with pneumonia. She'll be 95 next month so who knows how much more she can handle.

To add insult to injury a very dear friend dropped dead of a heart attack Sunday morning. He and his wife were our witnesses at our wedding and we're neighbors. It's been tough.

DH and I have been in a major funk and I just don't feel creative. We've been subsisting on fast and/or easy stuff.

[NMDemDist2]

15. oh Lugnut

i'm so sorry, please give your DH my best and I'm sorry for the loss of your friend

sounds like everybody around here has something going on.

:hug:

[Lugnut]

24. Thanks AZ.

:hug:

Tomorrow I'm planning to try a recipe for rice pudding a friend gave me. Nothing says comfort like home made rice pudding.

[wildeyed]

17. Not a diet, just a sick kid.

He is on the mend now, so hopefully I will be making something other than scrambled eggs for dinner soon!

[The empressof all]

18. Mmmmmmmmmm

I love breakfast for dinner. Glad to hear he's on the upswing.

[Stepup2]

19. I haven't had time

I began a new job a few weeks ago, and I am working from 7 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday thru Fri. I am not complaining as unemployment was its own hell, but my "diet" as of late is mainly takeout.

The recipes posted in this forum are going to be even more important to me now!

[eleny]

22. we're still on the road & we'll be having leftover Chinese takeout

Move along, nothing to see here!

And about the dieting - I'm seriously trying to be good. We have leftovers tonight because we didn't have seconds at dinner last night.

[mike_c]

23. I AM dieting, as a matter of fact...

...and I've been busy lately, too. Hmmm, dinner tonight is looking like a gyro at the local Turkish place. I'm still in the office and I'm hungry beyond the "go home and cook" stage!

[wryter2000]

25. LOL on the dessert

When I go to a buffet, I load up my plate with hot dishes. Then, when I go back, I get salad for dessert. I'd rather eat salad than most sweets. How sick is that?

[cmf]

26. Yep, but it's a heart healthy diet.

Takes some of the fun out of food. But I was recently diagnosed with hypertension (at the ripe old age of 29), and I have a family history of early onset heart disease. So it's low-fat and low-sodium for us from now on!