It Looks Like Spring

But it's still pretty cold outside up here in the Mountains!  We are still enjoying evening fires and Craig says it has to get warmer before he is ready to start the "outside" work!


On the "inside" work, he has completed work on one of three bathrooms.  The other two will come after a long summer of outside jobs.  


Not much happening with the RV.  I did firm up our plans for the Crater lake trip, and made reservations at the Shingletown KOA for the week we will be down near Lassen National Park. 


 I first made a mistake in booking a one night stop over at the Burney Falls State park. I had looked at the reservation sight several times and was under the impression there were no sites big enough for the Alfa, but then I found one. Unfortunately it was a handicap site and I didn't notice that until after I had confirmed the reservation.  OOPS, I called right away, but still got stuck with a cancellation fee.  Lesson learned.  Look at everything twice when you find something to good to be true! 


 I guess we will just be driving up to Burney Falls one of the days we are at Shingletown.  We will have the Prius with us.


On the food front, I've slipped a couple of times.  I remind myself no one is perfect and building new habits that will be good for me for the rest of my life.
I just get so bummed when I hit a plateau like I have for the last week or so.


I am excited about a new dressing/dip recipe that I have been making.  I'm sure all my Vegan  friends know all about silken tofu, but it was new to me.  Silken tofu is sold in water packages next to the firm tofu in the cold case of the grocery stores. I see that it is also sold in "shelf stable" boxes which would be great to have along in the RV when you can't get to a grocery!


The following is a recipe for a very basic salad dressing.  I made half at a time because I don't like to keep things mixed in the refrigerator for very long. It is a "basic" recipe and you could easily add more or other spices or even add tomato and relish for a Thousand Island style dressing.

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 6 ounces silken tofu (or soft tofu, drained) (comes in 
• a box)
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (I used dried)
• 
  
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

1. Instructions:
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

The first time I made it we tried it as a veggie dip.  I guess we were hungry, because between Craig and I we did in a whole small head of fresh cauliflower! At that time I thought the dressing was a bit thin and would have been better as a salad dressing than as a dipping dressing.  I did save the little that was left over and used it on a salad a few days later and it was still good.

I made a second batch with the remaining tofu a few days later.  This time I added a Tablespoon of Chia seeds and put it in the refrigerator over night. The dressing became a nice thick dip!

I had never heard of Chia Seeds before last week, except for when they are spread over a funny sculpture to grow a "Cha- Cha -Cha- Chia pet!  


They are very high in fiber, 5 grams per tablespoon, and can be added to things like breads or smoothies.  If you mix them into a liquid, and let them stand for awhile, they expand into a jelly like substance with  little seeds inside.  This is what thickened the dressing.


By the way, do not mix Chia seeds, almond milk and blueberries in a blender and pour it into little cups, expecting to get a  nice "Chia pudding."  The resulting concoction is not visually pleasing. The blueberries turn gray.  

RV Grill

If you have an RV, you have to have a grill, right?


One of the features of the Alfa is a propane connection on the side where you can hook up your gas grill.  Not having to cary a tank does save some room in the basement!


So our daughter and her husband bought us a Weber Q for Christmas.  But we didn't have the right kind of hose connection for it.  It has been a search to find the right one.  Neither Camping World nor Weber itself has a hose that would work with the Alfa.  We finally got one thru Alfateers, and as soon as it stopped raining we gave it a try.

Mostly vegetable kabobs

  I have told Craig that RV BBQing is man's work!   We shall see how long that lasts!  Actually I won't mind doing the cooking if he takes over cleaning and storing the grill!

The cook enjoys  a glass of wine while watching over the grill. 


My diet doesn't allow me to drink wine, but Craig still can.

Mostly 
veggie kabobs.


I used  3 ounces of shrimp for each of us.  Plus lots of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and fresh pineapple. 


 I used a Catalina dressing that I had on hand.  It's not a "low fat" dressing because you need a little oil for the grilling.  


Next time I might experiment with mixing up something myself.


To me grilling has almost always meant "meat."  Steaks, whole chicken, hamburgers.  But with our new outlook on food I'm going to have to explore a more vegetarian, or at least a non red meat approach.  


Our kabobs in the past were always about half lamb and half veggies.  These were so good we probably didn't even need the shrimp.  Craig said he really like the pineapple and so did I.


Later today we will have to clean the grill and stow it back in the Alfa.  That is one thing I'm a bit concerned about.  With our deck grill we just burn off the grates, and change the drip pan from time to time.  I don't want a greasy grill in the Alfa basement.  I think it would attract mice and rats.


How thoroughly do you clean your grill?

Review of "The Blood Sugar Solution"

Because Laurie mentioned she was starting "The Blood Sugar Solution" program this week I decided to read the book. 
It is really quite popular, there are over 50 people on the library waiting list, so I bought it on the Kindle.


I guess I have always been a new diet book junkie.  I have probably read just about every one that has come out in the last 45 years!


I have come to the conclusion that I am hoping for a miracle diet that will help me lose lots of weight, overnight, without any sacrifices.


Well, I'm still looking!  "The Blood Sugar Solution" offers very little new information.  In fact many of   points Dr. Hyman makes have been around since the 80's.  


Please don't get me wrong.  I'm not disagreeing with the message of eat less and exercise more.  Most of his food recommendations are exactly what I have been eating for the last two months.  I am slowly losing weight and almost never hungry.


But I feel his regime would be very hard to follow, and very difficult to stick with for a lifetime, which is what I need to do. 

In the book he repeatedly recommends a variety of supplements, which of course he sells on his web site. 

(For example for a little over $100 you can get the basic starter kit of supplements for women.) 

He also has a 12 week on-line course he will sell you if you"are not getting the results you want" after reading the book and trying to follow the program on your own.  You can try it "free for 7 days" here. (I wonder how much it costs?)

I also question  his advice to not use the microwave, not drink bottled water, keep the cell phone six to eight inches from your head, and avoid WiFi, waterbeds, computer screens, and clock radios.  


Aluminum foil hats anyone?


 The book does offer a few interesting recipes.   I may try a few. 


In conclusion, some good, but old, ideas, some wacky points of view, but not a miracle diet. 

Hiking Boots

After trying on several brands of hiking boots over the last few days, I decided on these:


Merrell Moab Ventilator Mid.

I found the women's Merrells were too narrow for my feet, and tried the men's instead.  They fit better and except for the "periwinkle" inside on the women's they look the same.

I'm still looking at walking sticks.  I find the prices somewhat offensive.  I might just look around our forest for a good staff and trim it to a pleasing length.  Or convert one of our ski poles to a walking stick by removing the basket.  

On the subject of food, I have been doing very well on choosing snacks.  Edamame, sliced peppers, and celery have been pleasing afternoon munchies.  

Yesterday, after boot shopping, I was able to "pass" on a fast food lunch by popping into a grocery store and buying a pint of grape tomatoes.

Ate the whole thing while driving home! 

 Before the change I would have bought a bag of chips, a couple of candy bars, doughnuts, or a burger and fries. 

I have also been sure I have had a filling healthy breakfast before leaving the house.  

 I often went out of my way to stop at a small local cafe that made the best burritos to go,  but they stuck to my ribs, and belly, and thighs long after the grease was wiped from my hands. 

No more Nonno's burritos for me!

Have you made any healthy changes lately? 

Pinterest

I've started playing with Pinterest.  I want to use it to help plan trips, and to collect information about RV parks around the country as well as interesting and unique places to go.


If you are a "pinner" I'd love to visit and follow your boards, but I'm not sure how to find you.  


I was able to find Karen because I knew her last name and searched for her on Pinterest, then on People.  There were three Karens with the same last name, but I recognized her picture.  


If you pin can you send me an invite? 


My username is Merikay MacKenna, and email is merikaym@gmail.com  

Really Good Dinner Recipe

My primary reason for trying to eat  more "healthy" meals remains to lower my cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Losing weight is of secondary importance, but I'm not kidding myself about really wanting to drop the fat!  


Last night and tonight we had a wonderfully healthy and tasty dish for dinner.  Craig urged me to share it because he says it was one of the best foods he has had in a long time.  The recipe is not a "diet" meal, but for a pasta based meal it is very healthy.  It came to me as one of the "daily dishes" I get as emails from allrecipes.com  


I'm posting the full original version below. 


The changes I made were to use whole wheat penne pasta, to add two peeled and cubed Japanese eggplant to the vegetable mix, and to use cubed Roma tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes because they were less expensive. I did not use any butter to saute the onions, but I did use the Romano cheese. I figured 1/2 cup divided by six servings is not a lot of cheese.


12 oz. of penne plus all the vegetables made a huge pot of food.  We will be eating it for a third night tomorrow, so next time I will cut the pasta to 6 oz. but still use all of the vegetables and other ingredients.


One other thought is that since I'm still in a house I had no problem with  using a large tray in the oven for roasting the veggies.  In an RV you might have to do two batches, or roast them on the grill.

No Cream Pasta Primavera

from allrecipes.com

Servings  (Help)

USMetricCalculate

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
4. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 406 | Total Fat: 15.4g | Cholesterol: 15mg

I'm going to try a BBQ Pizza soon

Next time I make a pizza it will be on the BBQ. I think the whole wheat crust will hold up to grilling better than a regular thin-crust. 


From your comments, it seems like there is some interest in making it that way, and I'm willing to give it a try.


 Although using a whole wheat crust is an improvement, the best thing you can do to make a pizza healthier is to not include the sausage and cheese. 


Has anyone made a pizza on a Webber Q or other gas grill? How have you done it? Do you use a pizza stone?

I've seen something on the web about par-grilling the crust.